Catalytic antibodies and a method of producing same

ABSTRACT

The present invention is directed generally to catalytic antibodies and, more particularly, to a novel method of producing same. The method of the present invention is predicated in part on the exploitation of the products of catalysis to induce B cell mitogenesis. In a preferred embodiment, a growth factor having an ability to induce B cell mitogenesis is linked to a target antigen to which catalytic antibodies are sought. B cell mitogenesis is then dependent on the catalytic cleavage of the antigen portion of the growth factor by catalytic antibodies on the surface of B cells. The method of the present invention is useful for generating catalytic antibodies for both therapeutic and diagnostic purposes.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/828,741 filed Mar. 26, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,043,069.

The present invention is directed generally to catalytic antibodies and, more particularly, to a novel method of producing same. The method of the present invention is predicated in part on the exploitation of the products of catalysis to induce B cell mitogenesis. In a preferred embodiment, a growth factor having an ability to induce B cell mitogenesis is linked to a target antigen to which catalytic antibodies are sought. B cell mitogenesis is then dependent on the catalytic cleavage of the antigen portion of the growth factor by catalytic antibodies on the surface of B cells. The method of the present invention is useful for generating catalytic antibodies for both therapeutic and diagnostic purposes.

Sequence Identity Numbers (SEQ ID NOs.) for the nucleotide and amino acid sequences referred to in the specification are defined following the Examples.

Throughout this specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word “comprise”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element or integer or group of elements or integers but not the exclusion of any other element or integer or group of elements or integers.

The rapidly increasing sophistication of recombinant DNA technology is greatly facilitating research and development in the medical and allied health fields. A particularly important area of research is the use of recombinant antigens to stimulate immune response mechanisms and outcomes. However, until now, recombinant techniques have not been particularly effective in the generation of catalytic antibodies.

Catalytic antibodies are highly substrate specific catalysts which can be used, for example, to proteolytically activate or inactivate proteins. Catalytic antibodies have great potential as therapeutic agents in human diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, AIDS and Alzheimer's disease amongst many others.

Antibody therapy is already routinely used in patients. Antibodies have a half-life of about 23 days in the circulation of humans which is a clear advantage over other drugs. Catalytic antibodies, however, are considered to be even more effective. They are recycled after their antigenic encounter and are not bound to the antigen as occurs with “classical” antibodies. Catalytic antibodies should, therefore, function at a much lower dose than classical antibodies and could be used at sub-immunogenic doses. Catalytic antibodies would be particularly useful in long term therapy.

Traditionally, catalytic antibodies have been generated by immunising mice with transition state analogs. Such antibodies have been shown to catalyse several chemical reactions. However, this approach has a severe limitation in that it is difficult to predict the structure of transition state analogs which effect proteolysis of specific proteins. Immunising a mouse with a transition state analog is by definition inefficient since it selects B cells on the ability of surface immunoglobulins to bind the analogs and not on the catalytic activity of the surface immunoglobulins. This is one of the reasons why catalytic antibodies have relatively low turn-over rates and cannot compete with the naturally occurring enzyme counter parts. As a consequence, catalytic antibodies have not previously achieved prominence as therapeutic or diagnostic tools.

There is a need, therefore, to develop a more efficacious approach to generating catalytic antibodies having desired catalytic specificity. In accordance with the present invention, the inventors have developed such an approach based on a recombinant or a synthetic growth factor having an ability to induce B cell mitogenesis. A precursor form of the growth factor selects “catalytic” B cells. The present invention provides, therefore, for the exploitation of the products of catalysis for B cell activation which may and can be antigen binding site independent.

Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention is directed to a recombinant of synthetic growth factor or a precursor thereof comprising a B cell surface molecule binding portion wherein said growth factor or a catalytic product of said precursor is capable of inducing B cell mitogenesis.

More particularly, the present invention provides a recombinant or synthetic growth factor comprising a B cell surface molecule binding portion wherein said growth factor induces B cell mitogenesis.

In one aspect of the present invention, the recombinant or synthetic growth factor comprises a B cell surface molecule binding portion and a portion providing T cell dependent help for a B cell such that said growth factor induces B cell mitogenesis.

In another aspect, the portion providing T cell dependent help for a B cell is supplied independently of the growth factor. An example of an exogenously supplied portion having T cell dependent help for a B cell is anti-CD40 antibodies or functional equivalents thereof.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the B cell surface molecule binding portion comprises a B cell surface immunoglobulin binding portion although the present invention extends to a range of B cell surface molecules the binding, interaction and/or cross-linking thereof leads to or facilitates B cell mitogenesis. Reference hereinafter to a “B cell surface molecule” includes reference to a B cell surface immunoglobulin. The portion providing T cell dependent help for a B cell is preferably but not exclusively a T cell epitope. Reference hereinafter to a portion providing T cell dependent help for a B cell includes a T cell epitope.

The present invention further contemplates a composition of matter capable of inducing B cell mitogenesis said composition of matter comprising components selected from:

(i) a recombinant or synthetic molecule comprising a B cell surface molecule binding portion;

(ii) a recombinant or synthetic molecule in multimeric form comprising a B cell surface molecule binding surface molecule binding portion;

(iii) a recombinant or synthetic molecule of (i) or (ii) comprising a further portion providing T cell dependent help for a B cell; and

(iv) separate compositions mixed prior to use or used sequentially or simultaneously comprising in a first composition a component having a B cell surface molecule binding portion and in a second composition a molecule capable of providing T cell dependent help for a B cell.

Preferably, the molecule capable of providing T cell dependent help for a B cell is a T cell epitope or is an anti-CD40 antibody or functional equivalents thereof.

Preferably, to ensure cross-linking of B cell surface molecules to induce blastogenesis, the growth factor comprises at least two B cell surface molecule binding portions. Alternatively, where the growth factor is present in multimeric form, the molecule may comprise a single B cell surface molecule binding portion.

Even more preferably, the growth factor comprises a T cell epitope portion flanked by, adjacent to or proximal with at least one B cell surface molecule-binding portion. The presentation of a T cell epitope on the surface of a B cell allows for B cell mitogenesis. The term “B cell mitogenesis” is used herein in its broadest context and includes B cell activation, clonal expansion, affinity maturation and/or antibody secretion as well as growth and differentiation. The term “mitogenic” as used herein means “mitogenesis”.

In another embodiment, the recombinant or synthetic growth factor comprises a further portion permitting multimerisation of the growth factor. A multimer comprises two or more growth factor molecules or a precursor thereof. Examples of portions inducing multimerisation include but are not limited to an antibody, a region facilitating formation of cross-linked molecules or a signal peptide. Cross-linkage in this context includes any interaction that provides bonding adequate to lead to multimer formation including but not limited to covalent linkage, ionic linkage, lattice association, ionic bridges, salt bridges and non-specific molecular association. A particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention is directed to the use of a signal peptide such as the signal peptide of the Outer Membrane Portion A (ompA) [Skerra, Gene, 151:131-135, 1994] or a functional derivative thereof. A “functional derivative” in this context is a mutant or derivative of the ompA signal peptide (or its functional equivalent) which still permits multimer formation of the growth factor.

In a preferred embodiment, where the B cell surface molecule is an immunoglobulin, the B cell surface binding portion of the growth factor generally binds to part of an immunoglobulin such as the variable portion of a heavy or light chain of an immunoglobulin.

An example of an immunoglobulin binding molecule is protein L from Peptostreptococcus magnus. Protein L has five immunoglobulin-binding domains. Other immunoglobulin binding molecules include protein A, protein G and protein H. The present invention, however, extends to any molecule capable of bind to a B cell surface component including, for example, a ligand of a B cell receptor.

The portion of the recombinant or synthetic molecule defining a T cell epitope is presented to a preferably already primed T cell to induce B cell proliferation and affinity maturation of an antibody in the germinal centre. This is generally accompanied by immunoglobulin class switching and antibody secretion into the serum. Generally, the T cell epitope is internalised within the B cell and presented on major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the T cell epitope is from hen egg lysozyme (HEL) [Altuvia et al, Molecular Immunology, 31:1-19, 1994] or is a derivative thereof such as a peptide comprising amino acids 42 to 62 from HEL or a homologue or analog thereof. This T cell epitope is recognised by the T cell receptor (TCR) of HEL specific T cells when presented by an antigen presenting cell (APC) on the MHC class II molecule H-2A^(K) in mice or other MHC class II molecules or their equivalents in other mammals such as humans. Examples of other T cell epitopes include but are not limited to tetanus toxoid, ovalbumin, malarial antigens as well as other regions of HEL. One skilled in the art would readily be able to select an appropriate T cell epitope.

In an alternative embodiment, the portion providing T cell dependent help of a B cell is not a T cell epitope in the classical sense but is nevertheless able to function in a similar manner. An example of such a portion is an anti-CD40 antibody.

Another aspect of the present invention contemplates a recombinant or synthetic molecule having the structure:

X ₁ X ₂ X ₃

wherein:

X₁ and X₃ may be the same or different and each is a B cell surface molecule binding entity;

X₂ is a portion providing T cell dependent help for a B cell; and wherein the recombinant or synthetic molecule is capable of inducing T cell dependent B cell mitogenesis of the B cell which X₁ and X₃ bind.

The representation X₁ X₂ X₃ is not to be taken as imposing any sequential constraints and the present invention covers any sequence comprising the elements X₁ X₂ X₃ such as X₁ X₃ X₂, X₃ X₂ X₁, X₂ X₃ X₁, X₂ X₁ X₃, and X₃ X₁ X₂.

The present invention further provides a recombinant or synthetic molecule having the structure:

X ₁ X ₂X₃

wherein:

X₁ and X₃ may be the same or different and each is a B cell surface immunoglobulin binding entity;

X₂ is a T cell epitope; and

wherein the recombinant or synthetic molecule is capable of inducing T cell dependent B cell mitogenesis of the B cell to which X₁ and X₃ bind.

The present invention yet further provides a recombinant or synthetic molecule having the structure:

MX ₁ [X ₂]_(b)

wherein:

X₁ is a B cell surface molecule binding entity such as a B cell surface immunoglobulin binding entity;

X₂ is a portion providing T cell dependent help for a B cell;

M is a portion enabling or facilitating multimer formation of the recombinant or synthetic molecule; and

b represents the number of X₂ molecules and may be 0, 1 or >1.

An example of M is a signal peptide such as from ompA. The multimeric effect of M is to provide a molecule [MX₁[X₂]_(b)]_(k) where M, X₁, X₂ and b are as defined above and k is 1 or >1. An example of k is from about 2 to about 1000 and more preferably from above >1 to about 50-200.

The optional nature of X₂ may alternatively relate to ₁X. The molecular components of MX₁[X₂]_(b) may be in any order.

Preferably, but not exclusively X₁ is derived from the L protein from P. magnus.

Preferably, X₂ is a T cell epitope derived from HEL such as but not limited to amino acids 42 and 62 from HEL. In an alternative embodiment, where b=0 X₂ is not a T cell epitope and is exogenously supplied facilitating T cell dependent help for a B cell. In this case, X₂ may be, for example, an anti-CD40 antibody.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, X₁ X₂ X₃ as defined above is referred to herein as “LHL” where L is an immunoglobulin binding entity from L protein from P. magnus and H corresponds to amino acids 42 to 62 from HEL or an equivalent thereof. The nucleotide and amino acid sequences of LHL are shown in SEQ ID NO:1and SEQ ID NO:2, respectively.

The present invention extends to a growth factor or precursor thereof having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2 or an amino acid sequence having at least 60% similarity thereto (excluding the amino acid sequence of an antigen) or an amino acid sequence encoded by nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or a nucleotide sequence capable of hybridizing to SEQ ID NO:1 under low stringency conditions.

Reference herein to a low stringency at 42° C. includes and encompasses from at least about 1% v/v to at least about 15% v/v formamide and from at least about 1M to at least about 2M salt for hybridisation, and at least about 1M to at least about 2M salt for washing conditions. Alternative stringency conditions may be applied where necessary, such as medium stringency, which includes and encompasses from at least about 16% v/v to at least about 30% v/v formamide and from at least about 0.5M to at least about 0.9M salt for hybridisation, and at least about 0.5M to at least about 0.9M salt for washing conditions, or high stringency, which includes and encompasses from at least about 31% v/v to at least about 50% v/v formamide and from at least about 0.01M to at least about 0.15M salt for hybridisation, and at least about 0.01M to at least about 0.15M salt for washing conditions.

The two “L” domains from protein L linked by the “H” domain from HEL build the growth factor LHL which crosslinks the surface immunoglobulin on B cells. This cross-linking induces B cell activation and blast formation. The internalisation and processing of LHL leads to the presentation of H on MHC II. T cell recognition of MHC II with the H peptide signals the activated B cell to proliferate and undergo antibody class switching and secretion.

The mitogenic growth factor of the present invention is most useful in generating antibodies of desired catalytic specificity when in a precursor form which selects “catalytic” B cells. A precursor growth factor comprises a target antigen to which a catalytic antibody is sought and which mask antigen-independent clonal expansion of B cells. Upon cleavage of the antigen by a selected B cell surface immunoglobulin, the growth factor can induce B cell mitogenesis.

In effect, then B cells are selected on the catalytic activity of their surface immunoglobulin rather than on their binding to a transition state analog. This allows for affinity maturation in the germinal centres and ensures “catalytic-maturation” to obtain the highest enzymatic turn-over rate possible in vivo. This aspect of the present invention is achieved by designing a B cell growth factor precursor comprising X₁X₂X₃ as defined above, such as LHL, shielded and substantially inactive until released through cleavage by a catalytic antibody on a B cell surface. The term “cleavage” in this context is not limiting to the breaking of bonds but includes interaction adequate to remove or reduce shielding of the B cell growth factor.

The liberated X₁ X₂ X₃ activates the catalytic B cell by crosslinking the B cell surface molecules such B cell surface immunoglobulins via the X₁ X₃ domains. X₁ X₂ X₃ is then internalised and processed analogous to a normal antigen. Intracellular processing generates the T cell epitope X₂ incorporated in X₁ X₂X₃. The presentation of X₂ on the B cell surface leads to T cell dependent clonal expansion of the B cell as well as catalytic maturation and secretion of the catalytic antibody. The catalytic antibodies can then be detected in serum and catalytic B cells can be recovered by standard techniques.

According to this aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recombinant or synthetic growth factor precursor comprising an antigen linked or otherwise associated with a growth factor capable of inducing B cell mitogenesis, wherein the products of catalysis of said growth factor precursor permit B cell mitogenesis which may and can be antigen binding site independent.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recombinant or synthetic growth factor precursor comprising an antigen linked to or otherwise associated with a B cell surface binding molecule portion and a portion providing T cell dependent help to a B cell such that upon cleavage of said antigen or of a region proximal to said antigen, said B cell surface molecule portion and said T cell dependent help portion form a growth factor which induces B cell mitogenesis.

Preferably, the present invention is directed to a recombinant or synthetic growth factor precursor comprising an antigen linked to or otherwise associated with a B cell surface immunoglobulin binding portion and a T cell epitope portion such that upon cleavage of said antigen or of a region proximal to said antigen, said B cell surface immunoglobulin and T cell epitope form a growth factor having B cell mitogenic properties.

In an alternative embodiment, the present invention provides a recombinant or synthetic growth factor precursor comprising an antigen linked to or otherwise associated with a B cell surface molecule binding portion and a portion conferring a multimeric form of said growth factor precursor when cleavage of said antigen or of a region proximal to said antigen provides a growth factor comprising a B cell surface molecule binding portion having the ability to induce B cell mitogenesis.

The antigen according to this aspect of the present invention is any antigen to which a catalytic antibody is sought. Examples include cytokines such as but not limited to tumor necrosis factor (TNF), an interleukin (IL) such as IL-1 to IL-15, interferons (IFN) such as IFNα, IFNβ or IFNγ, colony-stimulating factors (CSF) such as granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), granulocyte-marcrophase colony-stimulation factor (GM-CSF), blood factors such as Factor VIII, erythropoietin and haemopoietin, cancer antigens, docking receptors from pathogenic viruses such as HIV, influenza virus or a hepatitis virus (eg. HEP A, HEP B, HEP C or HEP E) and amyloid plaques such as in Alzheimer's disease patients or myeloma patients. More particularly, in the case of TNF, proteolytic inactivation of TNF would be useful in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and toxic shock syndrome. By targeting viral docking receptors, pathogenic viruses such as HIV, hepatitis viruses and influenza viruses are rendered effectively inactive. Catalytic antibodies will also be useful in the clearance of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease or myeloma disease patients. Targeting IgE, for example, may provide a mechanism for treating inflammatory conditions such as asthma.

The catalytic antibodies of the present invention may also be useful in detoxifying drugs such as drugs consumed by an individual. For example, the effects of cannabis or heroin or other drugs could be treated in an individual by the administration of catalytic antibodies directed to the active components of those drugs. Furthermore, catalytic antibodies may be useful in the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory disease conditions such as by targeting autoimmune antibodies. Catalytic antibodies also have a use in environmental situations and could be directed to environmental pollutants such as petroleum products and plastics. In all these situations, suitable antigens would be selected and incorporated into the growth factor precursor of the present invention.

In a related aspect of the present invention, the “antigen” portion of the growth factor precursor can be mimiced by a target site such as an amino acid linker sequence comprising a protease cleavage site. Examples include an amino acid linker sequence comprising the tobacco etch virus (TEV) protease cleavage site. More particularly, in the case of a TEV protease cleavage site, cleaving of the amino acid linker sequence by the TEV protease would be useful for producing characteristics similar to those of a catalytic antibody. This provides a useful model system for developing growth factor molecules.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a recombinant or synthetic molecule having the structure:

AX ₁ X ₂ X ₃ A

wherein

A is a target antigen for which a catalytic antibody is sought;

X₁ and X₃ may be the same or different and each is a B cell surface molecule binding entity;

X₂ is a portion providing T cell dependent help for a catalytic B cell;

wherein a catalytic antibody on the surface of said B cell is capable of cleaving all or part of A from said recombinant or synthetic molecule resulting in the molecule [A′]X₁X₂X₃[A′] wherein A′ is optionally present and is a portion of A after cleavage with the catalytic antibody and wherein said resulting molecule is capable of inducing T cell dependent clonal expansion of the B cell to which X₁ and X₃ bind.

The A X₂ X₂ X₃ A molecule may be in any sequence order.

Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a recombinant or synthetic molecule having the structure:

[M] _(c) AX ₁ [X ₂]_(d) [X ₃]_(t) A[M] _(f)

wherein:

A is a target antigen for which a catalytic antibody is sought;

X₁ and X₃ may be the same or different and each is a B cell surface molecule binding entity;

X₂ is a portion providing T cell dependent help for a B cell;

M is a portion enabling or facilitating multimer formation of the recombinant or synthetic molecule;

c and f may be the same or different and each is 0, 1 or >1;

e is 0 or 1 with the proviso then if both c and f are 0 then e cannot be 0;

d is 0 or 1 or >1;

wherein a catalytic antibody on the surface of said B cell is capable of cleaving all or a portion of A from said recombinant or synthetic molecule and a resulting catalytic product is capable of inducing B cell mitogenesis.

The growth factor precursor enables an antigen to be recognised by a B cell via a growth factor capable of inducing B cell mitogenesis. The antigen effectively masks B cell activation without prior catalytic activation. The growth factor is in “precursor” form, therefore, until cleavage of all or part of the antigen. A further masking may also be provided by molecules capable of binding to or otherwise associating with the B cell surface molecule binding domains of the B cell surface molecule binding portion. Examples of suitable masking molecules include but are not limited to the variable portion of a kappa or lambda light chain of an immunoglobulin.

Alternatively, a fragment comprising a variable heavy and light chain (Fv) may be employed which is preferably but not exclusively a single chain (sc) and/or disulfide stabilized (ds). The nucleotide and corresponding amino acid sequences for the variable portion of kappa light chain are shown in SEQ ID NO:10 and SEQ ID NO:11, respectively.

Notwithstanding that the above-mentioned immunoglobulin portions are useful molecules for blocking B cell surface immunoglobulin binding domains, other molecules may also be used. For example, natural product screening would very readily identify molecules from natural sources such as coral, soil, plants, ocean beds, marine invertebrates or from other convenient sources which would bind to immunoglobulin binding domains of L protein or other B cell surface binding molecules.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the recombinant or synthetic growth factor precursor substantially prevents binding of X₁ and X₃ to their cognate B cell surface molecules thereby preventing B cell activation by having immunoglobulin peptides or chemical equivalents thereof or other B cell surface molecule blocking reagents linked, fused or otherwise associated with the growth factor to facilitate masking of the B cell activating effects of the growth factor. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the precursor comprises an antigen to which a catalytic antibody is sought and portions capable or masking the B cell surface molecule binding domains of the B cell surface molecule binding portion or the growth factor. The precursor may contain variable kappa or lambda light chain domains or an sc-ds-Fv molecule or masking molecules detected following natural product screening.

Generally, the immunoglobulin molecules which bind to the B cell surface immunoglobulin binding portion as a growth factor are linked to the N-terminal and C-terminal portions respectively of the antigen flanking the growth factor. For example, one particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a growth factor precursor comprising the structure:

I′AX ₁ X ₂ X ₃ AI″

wherein:

I′ and I″ are optionally present and may be the same or different and each is a blocking reagent for X₁ and X₃ such as a kappa or lambda light chain or a sc-ds-Fv molecule;

A is the target antigen for which a catalytic antibody is sought;

X₁ and X₃ are B cell surface molecule binding entities; and

X₂ is an entity providing T cell dependent help to a B cell.

Wherein a catalytic antibody on the surface of said B cell is capable of cleaving all or part of A from said recombinant or synthetic molecule resulting in the molecule [A′]X₁X₂X₃[A′] wherein A′ is optionally present and is a portion of A after cleavage with the catalytic antibody wherein said resulting molecule is capable of inducing T cell dependent B cell mitogenesis of the B cell to which X₁ and X₃ bind.

The molecular components of I′A X₁ X₂ X₃ A I″ may be in any sequence order.

The present invention extends to X₁ and X₃ being any B cell surface molecule binding molecules and components I′ and II″ block or mask the binding of such molecules to the B cell surface molecules.

In another embodiment, the I′A X₁ X₂ X₃ A I″ molecule or part thereof may be in multimeric form. This is particularly the case when all or part of the molecule includes a multimerisation component (M) such as but not limited to the signal peptide of ompA. The monomeric units may be bound or otherwise associated together by any number of binding means such as contemplated above including covalent bonding, salt bridges, disulfide bridges and hydrophobic interactions amongst many others. Depending on the extent of multimerisation, this may impair the masking ability of B cell surface molecule binding domains of the growth factor and some antigen-independent clonal expansion may occur. This may not be too disadvantageous where there is at least some catalytic antibody dependent B cell mitogenesis.

According to this embodiment, there is provided a growth factor precursor comprising the structure:

[I′AX ₁ [X ₂′]_(o) [X ₂ X ₃ AI″] _(n)]_(m)

wherein:

I′ and I″ may be the same or different and each is a blocking reagent for X₁ and X₃ such as a kappa or lambda light chain or an sc-ds-Fv;

A is the target antigen for which a catalytic antibody is sought;

X₁ and X₃ are B cell surface molecule binding entities;

X₂ and X₂′ may be the same or different and each is an entity capable or providing T cell dependent help for a B cell;

o may be 0 or 1;

n indicates the multimeric nature of the component in parentheses and may be 0, 1 or >1;

m indicates the multimeric nature of the component in parenthesis and may be 1 or >1.

Preferably, n and m are each from about 1 to about 10,000 more preferably from about 1 to about 1,000 and still more preferably from about 1 to about 200.

Preferably, if n is 0, the o is 1.

In alternative embodiments, the growth factor precursor comprises the structure [[I′A X₂ X₃ ]_(n)[X₂′]_(o)[X₁ A I″]_(m) or [[I′ A X₁[X₂′]_(o)]_(n)[X₂ X₃ A I″]_(m)]

The exact number ascribed in n and m may not be ascertainable but the multimeric nature identified functionally or physically by size (eg. determined using HPLC or PAGE).

Examples of A include but are not limited to those hereinbefore described.

The present invention extends to the substitution of a non-antigen cleavage site such as a protease sensitive peptide which provides a useful model for designing growth factor molecules.

As exemplified growth factor precursor of the present invention is referred to herein as “CATAB” and comprises a TNF flanked LHL with the variable region from a kappa and/or lambda light chain further masking the B surface immunoglobulin binding domain of the L molecules.

In another embodiment, the growth factor precursor mimics a CATAB being activatable by means other than or in addition to a catalytic antibody. For example, an enzyme sensitive molecule may be the “antigen”. In one embodiment, the CATAB mimic is referred to herein as “TLHL” and comprises a variable kappa light chain linked to the N-terminus of an amino acid linker sequence comprising the TEV protease cleavage site which is in turn linked to LHL. The nucleotide and amino acid sequences for TLHL are shown in SEQ ID NO:5 and SEQ ID NO:6. In another embodiment, the TLHL further comprises another amino acid linker sequence comprising the TEV protease cleavage site and a variable kappa light chain linked to the C-terminus of the latter amino acid linker sequence and is referred to herein as CATAB-TEV. The nucleotide sequence and corresponding amino acid sequence of CATAB is shown in SEQ ID NO:3 and SEQ ID NO:4, respectively.

The present invention extends to a growth factor precursor comprising a sequence of amino acids selected from:

(i) the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:4 or having at least 60% similarity thereto (excluding the amino acid sequence of an antigen);

(ii) an amino acid sequence encoded by the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:3 or a nucleotide sequence having at least 60% similarity to the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:3.

(iii) an amino acid sequence encoded by a nucleotide sequence capable of hybridizing to SEQ ID NO:3 under low stringency conditions wherein catalytic properties of said growth factor precursor are capable of inducing B cell mitogenesis.

The variable kappa light chain portions may conveniently be derived from the Bence Jones protein, LEN, which has been shown to bind to certain immunoglobulin binding proteins such as L. Alternatively, an Fv may be used such as a sc-ds-Fv.

Upon cleavage of the growth factor precursor CATAB by a catalytic antibody recognising the antigen (for example, a TNF peptide portion), the covalent linkage between the L domains and the variable kappa light chains is broken. The blocking variable kappa light chains will dissociate from the L domains due to the relatively low affinity (˜10⁻⁷M) of individual domains for each other. This will release the mature growth factor LHL which can bind to and crosslink the surface immunoglobulin with an affinity of 10⁻⁹M. A similar mechanism operates where molecules other than variable kappa light chains, TNF, L and H are employed.

This B cell surface immunoglobulin crosslinking activates the B cell and induces the down stream events that lead to catalytic maturation and secretion of the catalytic antibody. Catalytic antibodies can be detected in the serum using any number of procedures such as ELISA based assays and catalytic B cells may be recovered with standard hybridoma technology. Where the catalytic antibodies are from non-human animals, these can be humanised by recombinant DNA technology and produced for therapeutical applications in humans. Alternatively, the antibodies may be generated in a “humanized” animal such as a humanized mouse which is transgenic for the human Ig loci.

The present invention contemplates derivatives of the growth factor and/or its precursor. A derivative includes a mutant, part, fragment, portion, homologue or analogue of the growth factor and/or precursor or any components thereof. Derivatives to amino acid sequences include single or multiple amino acid substitutions, deletions and/or additions. For example, derivatives of SEQ ID NO:2 or SEQ ID NO:4 include sequences having at least 60% similarity thereto (excluding amino acid sequence of antigen) or which are encoded by a nucleotide sequence capable of hybridizing in SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:3 under low stringency conditions.

Particularly useful derivatives include chemical analogues of the growth factor and/or its precursor or components thereof. Such chemical analogues may be useful in stabilizing the molecule for therapeutic or diagnostic use.

Analogues of the growth factor precursor contemplated herein include, but are not limited to, modification to side chains, incorporating of unnatural amino acids and/or their derivatives during peptide, polypeptide or protein synthesis and the use of crosslinkers and other methods which impose conformational constraints on the proteinaceous molecule or their analogues.

Examples of side chain modifications contemplated by the present invention include modifications of amino groups such as by reductive alkylation by reaction with an aldehyde followed by reduction with NaBH₄; amidination with methylacetimidate; acylation with acetic anhydride; carbamoylation of amino groups with cyanate; trinitrobenzylation of amino groups with 2, 4, 6-trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid (TNBS); acylation of amino groups with succinic anhydride and tetrahydrophthalic anhydride; and pyridoxylation of lysine with pyridoxal-5-phosphate followed by reaction with NaBH₄.

The guanidine group of arginine residues may be modified by the formation of heterocyclic condensation products with reagents such as 2,3-butanedione, phenylglyoxal and glyoxal.

The carboxyl group may be modified by carbodiimide activation via 0-acylisourea formation followed by subsequent derivitisation, for example, to a corresponding amide.

Sulphydryl groups may be modified by methods such as carboxymethylation with iodoacetic acid or iodoacetamide; performic acid oxidation to cysteic acid; formation of a mixed disulphides with other thiol compounds; reaction with maleimide, maleic anhydride or other substituted maleimide; formation of mercurial derivatives using 4-chloromercuribenzoate, 4-chloromercuriphenylsulphonic acid, phenylmercury chloride, 2-chloromercuri-4-nitrophenol and other mercurials; carbamoylation with cyanate at alkaline pH.

Tryptophan residues may be modified by, for example, oxidation with N-bromosuccinimide or alkylation of the indole ring with 2-hydroxy-4-nitrobenzyl bromide or sulphenyl halides. Tyrosine residues on the other hand, may be altered by nitration with tetranitromethane to form a 3-nitrotyrosine derivative.

Modification of the imidazole ring of a histidine residue may be accomplished by alkylation with iodoacetic acid derivatives of N-carbethoxylation with diethylpyrocarbonate.

Examples of incorporating unnatural amino acids and derivatives during peptide synthesis include, but are not limited to, use of norleucine, 4-amino butyric acid, 4-amino-3hydroxy-5- phenylpentanoic acid, 6-aminobexanoic acid, t-butylglycine, norvaline, phenylglycine, omithine, sarcosine, 4-amino-3-hydroxy-6-methylheptanoic acid, 2-thienyl alanine and/or D-isomers of amino acids. A list of unnatural amino acid, contemplated herein is shown in Table 1.

Crosslinkers can be used, for example, to stabilise 3D conformations, using homo-bifunctional crosslinkers such as the bifunctional imido esters having (CH₂)_(n) spacer groups with n=1 to n=6, glutaraldehyde, N-hydroxysuccinimide esters and hetero-bifunctional reagents which usually contain an amino-reactive moiety such as N-hydroxysuccinimide and another group specific-reactive moiety such as maleimido or dithio moiety (SH) or carbodiimide (COOH). In addition, peptides can be conformationally constrained by, for example, incorporation of C_(α) and N_(α)-methylamino acids, introduction of double bonds between C_(α) and C_(β) atoms of amino acids and the formation of cyclic peptides or analogues by introducing covalent bonds such as forming an amide bond between the N and C termini, between two side chains or between a side chain and the N or C terminus.

The present invention further contemplates chemical analogues of the growth factor and/or its precursor capable of acting as antagonists or agonists of same. These may be useful in controlling the immunological response. Chemical analogues may not necessarily be derived from the growth factor precursor but may share certain conformational similarities. Alternatively, chemical analogues may be specifically designed to mimic certain physiochemical properties of the growth factor precursor. Chemical analogues may be chemically synthesised or may be detected following, for example, natural product screening of, for example, coral, soil, points, microorganisms, marine invertebrates or seabeds.

TABLE 1 Non-conventional Non-conventional amino acid Code amino acid Code α-aminobutyric acid Abu L-N-methylalanine Nmala α-amino-α-methylbutyrate Mgabu L-N-methylarginine Nmarg aminocyclopropanpe- Cpro L-N-methylasparagine Nmasn carboxylate L-N-methylaspartic acid Nmasp aminoisobutyric acid Aib L-N-methylcysteine Nmcys aminonorbornyl Norb L-N-methylglutamine Nmgln carboxylate L-N-methylglutamic acid Nmglu cyclohexylalanine Chexa L-N-methylhistidine Nmhis cyclopentylalanine Cpen L-N-methylisolleucine Nmile D-alanine Dal L-N-methylleucine Nmleu D-arginine Darg L-N-methyllysine Nmlys D-aspartic acid Dasp L-N-methylmethionine Nmmet D-cysteine Dcys L-N-methylnorleucine Nmnle D-glutamine Dgln L-N-methylnorvaline Nmnva D-glutamic acid Dglu L-N-methylornithine Nmorn D-histidine Dhis L-N-methylphenylalanine Nmphe D-isoleucine Dile L-N-methylproline Nmpro D-leucine Dleu L-N-methylserine Nmser D-lysine Dlys L-N-methylthreonine Nmthr D-methionine Dmet L-N-methyltryptophan Nmtrp D-ornithine Dorn L-N-methyltyrosine Nmtyr D-phenylalanine Dphe L-N-methylvaline Nmval D-proline Dpro L-N-methylethylglycine Nmetg D-serine Dser L-N-methyl-t-butylglycine Nmtbug D-threonine Dthr L-norleucine Nle D-tryptophan Dtrp L-norvaline Nva D-tyrosine Dtyr α-methyl-aminoisobutyrate Maib D-valine Dval α-methyl-γ-aminobutyrate Mgabu D-α-methylalanine Dmala α-methylcyclohexylalanine Mchexa D-α-methylarginine Dmarg α-methylcylcopentylalanine Mcpen D-α-methylasparagine Dmasn α-methyl-α-napthylalanine Manap D-α-methylaspartate Dmasp α-methylpenicillamine Mpen D-α-methylcysteine Dmcys N-(4-aminobutyl)glycine Nglu D-α-methylglutamine Dmgln N-(2-aminoethyl)glycine Naeg D-α-methylhistidine Dmhis N-(3-aminopropyl)glycine Norn D-α-methylisoleucine Dmile N-amino-αmethylbutyrate Nmaabu D-α-methylleucine Dmleu α-napthylalanine Anap D-α-methyllysine Dmlys N-benzylglycine Nphe D-α-methylmethionine Dmmet N-(2-carbamylethyl)glycine Ngln D-α-methylornithine Dmorn N-(carbamylmethyl)glycine Nasn D-α-methylphenylalanine Dmphe N-(2-carboxyethyl)glycine Nglu D-α-methylproline Dmpro N-(carboxymethyl)glycine Nasp D-α-methylserine Dmser N-cyclobutylglycine Ncbut D-α-methylthreonine Dmthr N-cycloheptylglycine Nchep D-α-methyltryptophan Dmtrp N-cyclohexylglycine Nchex D-α-methyltyrosine Dmty N-cyclodecylglycine Ncdec D-α-methylvaline Dmval N-cylcododecylglycine Ncdod D-N-methylalanine Dnmala N-cyclooctylglycine Ncoct D-N-methylarginine Dnmarg N-cyclopropylglycine Ncpro D-N-methylasparagine Dnmasn N-cycloundecylglycine Ncund D-N-methylaspartate Dnmasp N-(2,2-diphenylethyl)glycine Nbhm D-N-methylcysteine Dnmcys N-(3,3-diphenylpropyl)glycine Nbhe D-N-methylglutamine Dnmgln N-(3-guanidinopropyl)glycine Narg D-N-methylglutamate Dnmglu N-(1-hydroxyethyl)glycine Nthr D-N-methylhistidine Dnmhis N-(hydroxyethyl))glycine Nser D-N-methylisoleucine Dnmile N-(imidazolylethyl))glycine Nhis D-N-methylleucine Dnmleu N-(3-indolylyethyl)glycine Nhtrp D-N-methyllysine Dnmlys N-methyl-γ-aminobutyrate Nmgabu N-methylcyclohexylalanine Nmchexa D-N-methylmethionine Dnmmet D-N-methylornithine Dnmorn N-methylcyclopentylalanine Nmcpen N-methylglycine Nala D-N-methylphenylalanine Dnmphe N-methylaminoisobutyrate Nmaib D-N-methylproline Dnmpro N-(1-methylpropyl)glycine Nile D-N-methylserine Dnmser N-(2-methylpropyl)glycine Nleu D-N-methylthreonine Dnmthr D-N-methyltryptophan Dnmtrp N-(1-methylethyl)glycine Nval D-N-methyltyrosine Dnmtyr N-methyla-napthylalanine Nmanap D-N-methylvaline Dnmval N-methylpenicillamine Nmpen γ-aminobutyric acid Gabu N-(p-hydroxyphenyl)glycine Nhtyr L-t-butylglycine Tbug N-(thiomethyl)glycine Ncys L-ethylglycine Etg penicillamine Pen L-homophenylalanine Hphe L-α-methylalanine Mala L-α-methylarginine Marg L-α-methylasparagine Masn L-α-methylaspartate Masp L-α-methyl-t-butylglycine Mtbug L-α-methylcysteine Mcys L-methylethylglycine Metg L-α-methylglutamine Mgln L-α-methylglutamate Mglu L-α-methylhistidine Mhis L-α-methylhomophenylalanine Mhphe L-α-methylisoleucine Mile N-(2-methylthioethyl)glycine Nmet L-α-methylleucine Mleu L-α-methyllysine Mlys L-α-methylmethionine Mmet L-α-methylnorleucine Mnle L-α-methylnorvaline Mnva L-α-methylornithine Morn L-α-methylphenylalanine Mphe L-α-methylproline Mpro L-α-methylserine Mser L-α-methylthreonine Mthr L-α-methyltryptophan Mtrp L-α-methyltyrosine Mtyr L-α-methylvaline Mval L-N-methylhomophenylalanine Nmhphe N-(N-(2,2-diphenylethyl) Nnbhm N-(N-(3,3-diphenylpropyl) Nnbhe carbamylmethyl)glycine carbamylmethyl)glycine 1-carboxy-1-(2,2-diphenyl-Nmbc ethylamino)cyclopropane

Other derivatives contemplated by the present invention include a range of glycosylation variants from a completely unglycosylated molecule to a modified glycosylated molecule. Altered glycosylation patterns may result expression of recombinant molecules in different host cells.

The growth factor and growth factor precursor of the present invention may be produced by recombinant DNA means or by chemical synthetic processes. With respect to the former this aspect of the present invention provides a nucleic acid molecule comprising a sequence of nucleotides encoding a B cell immunoglobulin binding peptide or polypeptide and a T cell epitope.

Generally, the nucleic acid molecule encodes a fusion molecule comprising a B cell immunoglobulin binding peptide or polypeptide and a T cell epitope. In this regard, the nucleic acid molecule would generally comprise a promoter region with the B cell immunoglobulin binding peptide or polypeptide encoding portion operably linked thereto and the T cell epitope portion operably linked to the 3′ end thereof. Expression of the nucleic acid molecule of the present invention leads to synthesis of a fusion molecule. In a preferred embodiment, the nucleic acid molecule further encodes an antigenic portion and optionally an immunoglobulin portion such as a variable kappa light chain. In some circumstances, purification of one or more recombinant components results in all or a portion of the signal peptide for the ompA or other carrier molecule for the microbial host in which the recombinant molecule is made. This may facilitate multimerisation. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, the nucleic acid molecule comprises the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:3 or is a sequence capable of hybridizing thereto under low stringency conditions wherein said nucleotide sequence encodes a growth factor precursor as hereinbefore described.

Still a further aspect of the present invention extends to a method for producing catalytic antibodies to a specific antigen, said method comprising administering to an animal an effective amount of a growth factor precursor comprising an antigen capable of interacting with a B cell bound catalytic antibody said antigen linked to or otherwise associate with a B cell surface molecule binding portion and a portion capable of providing T cell dependent help to a B cell. The growth factor precursor may also comprise a B cell surface molecule binding portion masking entity such as a variable kappa light chain linked to the antigen.

Alternatively, the growth factor precursor may comprise a B cell surface molecule binding portion in multimeric form linked to an antigen for which a target antibody is sought. The portion providing T cell dependent help is preferably a T cell epitope and is preferably part of the precursor. However, it may be a separate entity administered simultaneously or sequentially to an animal.

The present invention also provides catalytic antibodies produced by the above method. The catalytic antibodies are in effect specific to or directed against A of the above formulae. Such catalytic antibodies, therefore, may be directed to any antigen such as but not limited to a cytokine such as but not limited to tumor necrosis factor (TNF), an interleukin (IL) such as IL-1 to IL-15, interferons (IFN) such as IFNα, IFNβ or IFNγ, colony-stimulating factors (CSF) such as granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), granulocyte-macrophase colony-stimulation factor (GM-CSF), blood factors such as Factor VIII, erythropoietin and haemopoietin, cancer antigens, docking receptors from pathogenic viruses such as HIV, influenza virus or a hepatitis virus (eg. HEP A, HEP B, HEP C or HEP E) and amyloid plaques such as in Alzheimer's disease patients or myeloma patients.

The catalytic antibodies of the present invention have particular therapeutic and diagnostic uses especially in relation to mammalian and more particularly human disease conditions.

Accordingly, the present invention contemplates a pharmaceutical composition comprising a growth factor precursor or a derivative thereof and optionally a modulator of growth factor precursor activity and one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers and/or diluents. More particularly, the pharmaceutical composition comprises catalytic antibodies generated by the growth factor precursor of the present invention. These components are hereinafter referred to as the “active ingredients”.

The pharmaceutical forms suitable for injectable use include sterile aqueous solutions (where water soluble) or dispersions and sterile powders for the extemporaneous preparation of sterile injectable solutions or dispersion or may be in the form of a cream or other form suitable for topical application. It must be stable under the conditions of manufacture and storage and must be preserved against the contaminating action of microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. The carrier can be a solvent or dispersion medium containing, for example, water, ethanol, polyol (for example, glycerol, propylene glycol and liquid polyethylene glycol, and the like), suitable mixtures thereof, and vegetable oils. The proper fluidity can be maintained, for example, by the use of a coating such as licithin, by the maintenance of the required particle size in the case of dispersion and by the use of superfactants. The preventions of the action of microorganisms can be brought about by various antibacterial and antifungal agents, for example, parabens, chlorobutanol, phenol, sorbic acid, thirmerosal and the like. In many cases, it will be preferable to include isotonic agents, for example, sugars or sodium chloride. Prolonged absorption of the injectable compositions can be brought about by the use in the compositions of agents delaying absorption, for example, aluminum monostearate and gelatin.

Sterile injectable solutions are prepared by incorporating the active compounds in the required amount in the appropriate solvent with various of the other ingredients enumerated above, as required, followed by filtered sterilization. Generally, dispersions are prepared by incorporating the various sterilized active ingredient into a sterile vehicle which contains the basic dispersion medium and the required other ingredients from those enumerated above. In the case of sterile powders for the preparation of sterile injectable solutions, the preferred methods of preparation are vacuum drying and the freeze-drying technique which yield a powder of the active ingredient plus any additional desired ingredient from previously sterile-filtered solution thereof.

When the active ingredients are suitably protected they may be orally administered, for example, with an inert diluent or with an assimilable edible carrier, or it may be enclosed in hard or soft shell gelatin capsule, or it may be compressed into tablets, or it may be incorporated directly with the food of the diet. For oral therapeutic administration, the active compound may be incorporated with excipients and used in the form of ingestible tablets, buccal tablets, troches, capsules, elixirs, suspensions, syrups, wafers, and the like. Such compositions and preparations should contain at least 1% by weight of active compound. The percentage of the compositions and preparations may, of course, be varied and may conveniently be between about 5 to about 80% of the weight of the unit. The amount of active compound in such therapeutically useful compositions in such that a suitable dosage will be obtained. Preferred compositions or preparations according to the present invention are prepared so that an oral dosage unit form contains between about 0.1 ng and 2000 mg of active compound, preferably between about 0.1 μg and 1500 mg and more preferably between about 1 μg and 100 mg.

The tablets, troches, pills, capsules and the like may also contain the components as listed hereafter: a binder such as gum, acacia, corn starch or gelatin; excipients such as dicalcium phosphate; a disintegrating agent such as corn starch, potato starch, alginic acid and the like; a lubricant such as magnesium stearate; and a sweetening agent such a sucrose, lactose or saccharin may be added or a flavouring agent such as peppermint, oil of wintergreen; or cherry flavouring. When the dosage unit form is a capsule, it may contain, in addition to materials of the above type, a liquid carrier. Various other materials may be present as coatings or to otherwise modify the physical form of the dosage unit. For instance, tablets, pills, or capsules may be coated with shellac, sugar or both. A syrup or elixir may contain the active compound, sucrose as a sweetening agent, methyl and propylparabens as preservatives, a dye and flavouring such as cherry, orange or mango. Of course, any material used in preparing any dosage unit form should be pharmaceutically pure and substantially non-toxic in the amounts employed. In addition, the active compound(s) may be incorporated into sustained-release preparations and formulations.

The present invention also extends to forms suitable for topical application such as creams, lotions and gels.

Pharmaceutically acceptable carriers and/or diluents include any and all solvents, dispersion media, coatings, antibacterial and antifungal agents, isotonic and absorption delaying agents and the like. The use of such media and agents for pharmaceutical active substances is well known in the art. Except insofar as any conventional media or agent is incompatible with the active ingredient, use thereof in the therapeutic compositions is contemplated. Supplementary active ingredients can also be incorporated into the compositions. These may include immune potentiating molecules, multimer facilitating molecules and pharmaceutically active molecules chosen on the disease conditions being treated.

It is especially advantageous to formulate parenteral compositions in dosage unit form for ease of administration and uniformity of dosage. Dosage unit form as used herein refers to physically discrete units suited as unitary dosages for the mammalian subjects to be treated; each unit containing a predetermined quantity of active material calculated to produce the desired therapeutic effect in association with the required pharmaceutical carrier. The specification for the novel dosage unit forms of the invention are dictated by and directly dependent on (a) the unique characteristics of the active material and the particular therapeutic effect to be achieved, and (b) the limitations inherent in the art of compounding such as active material for the treatment of disease in living subjects having a diseased condition in which bodily health is impaired as herein disclosed in detail.

The principal active ingredient is compounded for convenient and effective administration in effective amounts with a suitable pharmaceutically acceptable carrier in dosage unit form as hereinbefore disclosed. A unit dosage form can, for example, contain the principal active compound in amounts ranging from 0.1 ng to about 2000 mg, more preferably ranging from 0.1 μg and 1500 mg and even more preferably ranging between 1 μg and 1000 mg. Expressed in proportions, the active compound is generally present in from about 0.5 μg to about 2000 mg/ml of carrier. In the case of compositions containing supplementary active ingredients, the dosages are determined by reference to the usual dose and manner of administration of the said ingredients.

Still another aspect of the present invention is directed to antibodies to the growth factor precursor and its derivatives. Such antibodies may be monoclonal or polyclonal and are independent to the catalytic antibodies selected by the precursor. The (non-catalytic) antibodies to recombinant or synthetic the growth factor precursor or its derivatives of the present invention may be useful as therapeutic agents but are particularly useful as diagnostic agents. Antibodies may also be generated to the catalytic antibodies generated by the growth factor precursors. All these antibodies have particular application in diagnostic assays for the growth factor or catalytic antibody inducer thereof.

For example, specific antibodies can be used to screen for catalytic antibodies. The latter would be important, for example, as a means for screening for levels of these antibodies in a biological fluid or for purifying the catalytic antibodies. Techniques for the assays contemplated herein are known in the art and include, for example, sandwich assays and ELISA.

It is within the scope of this invention to include any second antibodies (monoclonal, polyclonal or fragments of antibodies or synthetic antibodies) directed to the antibodies discussed above. Both the first and second antibodies may be used in detection assays or a first antibody may be used with a commercially available anti-immunoglobulin antibody.

Both polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies are obtainable by immunization with the enzyme or protein and either type is utilizable for immunoassays. The methods of obtaining both types of sera are well known in the art. Polyclonal sera are less preferred but are relatively easily prepared by injection of a suitable laboratory animal with an effective amount of antigen, or antigenic parts thereof, collecting serum from the animal, and isolating specific sera by any of the known immunoadsorbent techniques. Although antibodies produced by this method are utilizable in virtually any type of immunoassay, they are generally less favoured because of the potential heterogeneity of the product.

The use of monoclonal antibodies in an immunoassay is particularly preferred because of the ability to produce them in large quantities and the homogeneity of the product. The preparation of hybridoma cell lines for monoclonal antibody production derived by fusing an immortal cell line and lymphocytes sensitized against the immunogenic preparation can be done by techniques which are well known to those who are skilled in the art.

Another aspect of the present invention contemplates a method for detecting an antigen in a biological sample from a subject said method comprising contacting said biological sample with an antibody specific for said antigen or its derivatives or homologues for a time and under conditions sufficient for an antibody-antigen complex to form, and then detecting said complex. In this context, the “antigen” may be a growth factor, its precursor, a component thereof or a catalytic antibody induced thereby.

The presence of antigen may be accomplished in a number of ways such as by Western blotting and ELISA procedures. A wide range of immunoassay techniques are available as can be seen by reference to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,016,043, 4,424,279 and 4,018,653. These, of course, includes both single-site and two-site or “sandwich” assays of the non-competitive types, as well as in the traditional competitive binding assays. These assays also include direct binding of a labelled antibody to a target.

Sandwich assays are among the most useful and commonly used assays and are favoured for use in the present invention. A number of variations of the sandwich assay technique exist, and all are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. Briefly, in a typical forward assay, an unlabelled antibody is immobilized on a solid substrate and the sample to be tested brought into contact with the bound molecule. After a suitable period of incubation, for a period of time sufficient to allow formation of an antibody-antigen complex, a second antibody specific to the antigen, labelled with a reporter molecule capable of producing a detectable signal is then added and incubated, allowing time sufficient for the formation of another complex of antibody-antigen-labelled antibody. Any unreacted material is washed away, and the presence of the antigen is determined by observation of a signal produced by the reporter molecule. The results may either be qualitative, by simple observation of the visible signal, or may be quantitated by comparing with a control sample containing known amounts of hapten. Variations on the forward assay include a simultaneous assay, in which both sample and labelled antibody are added simultaneously to the bound antibody. These techniques are well known to those skilled in the art, including any minor variations as will be readily apparent. In accordance with the present invention the sample is one which might contain an antigen including cell extract, supernatant fluid, tissue biopsy or possibly serum, saliva, mucosal secretions, lymph, tissue fluid and respiratory fluid. The sample is, therefore, generally a biological sample comprising biological fluid but also extends to fermentation fluid and supernatant fluid such as from a cell culture.

In the typical forward sandwich assay, a first antibody having specificity for the antigen or antigenic parts thereof, is either covalently or passively bound to a solid surface. The solid surface is typically glass or a polymer, the most commonly used polymers being cellulose, polyacrylamide, nylon, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride or polypropylene. The solid supports may be in the form of tubes, beads, discs of microplates, or any other surface suitable for conducting an immunoassay. The binding processes are well-known in the art and generally consist of cross-linking covalently binding or physically adsorbing, the polymer-antibody complex is washed in preparation for the test sample. An aliquot of the sample to be tested is then added to the solid phase complex and incubated for a period of time sufficient (e.g. 2-40 minutes) and under suitable conditions (e.g. 25° C.) to allow binding of any subunit present in the antibody. Following the incubation period, the antibody subunit solid phase is washed and dried and incubated with a second antibody specific for a portion of the hapten. The second antibody is linked to a reporter molecule which is used to indicate the binding of the second antibody to the hapten.

An alternative method involves immobilizing the target molecules in the biological sample and then exposing the immobilized target to specific antibody which may or may not be labelled with a reporter molecule. Depending on the amount of target and the strength of the reporter molecule signal, a bound target may be detectable by direct labelling with the antibody. Alternatively, a second labelled antibody, specific to the first antibody is exposed to the target-first antibody complex to form a target-first antibody-second antibody tertiary complex. The complex is detected by the signal emitted by the reporter molecule.

By “reporter molecule” as used in the present specification, is meant a molecule which, by its chemical nature, provides an analytically identifiable signal which allows the detection of antigen-bound antibody. Detection may be either qualitative or quantitative. The most commonly used reporter molecules in this type of assay are either enzymes, fluorophores or radionuclide containing molecules (i.e. radioisotoes) and chemiluminescent molecules. In the case of an enzyme immunoassay, an enzyme is conjugated to the second antibody, generally by means of glutaraldehyde or periodate. As will be readily recognized, however, a wide variety of different conjugation techniques exist, which are readily available to the skilled artisan. Commonly used enzymes include horseradish peroxidase, glucose oxidase, beta-galactosidase and alkaline phosphatase, amongst others. The substrates to be used with the specific enzymes are generally chosen for the production, upon hydrolysis by the corresponding enzyme, of a detectable colour change. Examples of suitable enzymes include alkaline phosphatase and peroxidase. It is also possible to employ fluorogenic substrates, which yield a fluorescent product rather than the chromogenic substrates noted above. In all cases, the enzyme-labelled antibody is added to the first antibody hapten complex, allowed to bind, and then the excess reagent is washed away. A solution containing the appropriate substrate is then added to the complex of antibody-antigen-antibody. The substrate will react with the enzyme linked to the second antibody, giving a qualitative visual signal, which may be further quantitated, usually spectrophotometrically, to give an indication of the amount of hapten which was present in the sample. “Reporter molecule” also extends to use of cell agglutination or inhibition of agglutination such as red blood cells on latex beads, and the like.

Alternatively, fluorescent compounds, such as fluorescein and rhodamine, may be chemically coupled to antibodies without altering their binding capacity. When activated by illumination with light of a particular wavelength, the fluorochrome-labelled antibody adsorbs the light energy, inducing a state to excitability in the molecule, followed by emission of the light at a characteristic colour visually detectable with a light microscope. As in the EIA, the fluorescent labelled antibody is allowed to bind to the first antibody-hapten complex. After washing off the unbound reagent, the remaining tertiary complex is then exposed to the light of the appropriate wavelength the fluorescence observed indicates the presence of the hapten of interest. Immunofluorescene and EIA techniques are both very well established in the art and are particularly preferred for the present method. However, other reporter molecules, such as radioisotope, chemiluminescent or bioluminescent molecules, may also be employed.

The present invention may use any number of means to clone genetic sequences encoding catalytic antibodies. For example, a phase display library potentially capable of expressing a catalytic antibody on the phage surface may be used to screen for catalysis of defined antigens.

The present invention further contemplates the use of the products of catalysis of a growth factor precursor to induce B cell mitogenesis to generate catalytic antibodies to a specific antigen.

More particularly, the present invention contemplates the use of a growth factor precursor comprising an antigen to which a catalytic antibody is sought linked, fused or otherwise associated to a B cell surface molecule binding portion in the induction of B cell mitogenesis following catalytic cleavage of all or part of said antigen.

Still another embodiment of the present invention contemplates the use of an antigen linked, fused or otherwise associate to a B cell surface molecule binding portion in the manufacture of a growth factor precursor to induce B cell mitogenesis following catalytic cleavage of all or part of said antigen.

The present invention is further described by the following non-limiting figures and/or examples.

In the figures:

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of the three overlapping synthetic oligonucleotides used to generate a genetic construct encoding LHL.

FIG. 2 is a photographic representation of LHL in a bacterial lysate after purification on a human IgG (huIgG) affinity column. First lane, uninduced; second lane, induced LHL sample; right lane, purified LHL with size of approximately 18 kDs.

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of LHL seq carrying two affinity tags.

FIG. 4 is a photographic representation showing an LHL seq expression and purification analysed on a 20% w/v polyacrylamide SDS silver stained PHAST-gel. L=recombinant DH10B lysate after o/n induction of LHL.seq expression; S-streptavidin purified LHL.seq protein; H-huIgG purified LHL.seq protein; e-eluted with 1 mg/ml diaminobiotin, PBS (S) or with 100 mM glycine pH2.0 (H); b-elution of LHL.seq via boiling in loading buffer. Purifications were performed in 1.5 ml eppendorf tubes at RT. 50 μl lysate was incubated with 25 μl column matrix for 15 min. Column material was then washed twice with 500 μl PBS, 0.5% v/v Triton X-100 before eluting with 50 μl solution or boiling as described. Elution of LHL.seq from huIgG matrix is very inefficient in this particular set up although it is the most effective and preferred way when washing on a larger scale affinity column.

FIG. 5 is a graphical representation showing mitogenic activity of LHL on B cells. M, medium; LPS, lipopolysaccharide; Ab, anti-IgM antibody; C, induced “empty” expression vector and LHL. Y axis (0-100%); percentage of B cells expressing B7.2 after overnight incubation of mesenteric lymphnode cells with substance shown on X axis.

FIG. 6 is a graphical representation as for FIG. 5 with the hatched bars showing the experiment in the presence of human IgG at 500 μg/ml.

FIG. 7 is a graphical representation showing ³H-thymidine incorporation during DNA synthesis (CPM) of the IL-2-dependent CTLL incubated with supernatant of co-cultures as listed below. Splenocytes or mesenteric lymphocytes are co-cultured with T cell hybridoma 3A9 in the presence of M, medium; HEL, hen egg lysozyme; and LHL. The hatched bar for each of HEL and LHL is the same experiment in the presence of human IgG (HuIgG).

FIG. 8 is a schematic representation of the kappa variable light chain and its two affinity tags.

FIG. 9 is a photographic representation showing kappa expression analysed on a 20% w/v polyacrylamide SDS PHAST-gel after silver staining. L=total lysate of two different recombinant DH10B clones induced to express kappa; T=pellet after periplasmic fractionation; P=periplasmic fraction with kappa protein.

FIG. 10 is a photographic representation showing purified kappa protein on a 20% w/v polyacrylamide SDS PHAST-gel after silver staining, w=periplasmic fraction after incubation with column material; e=eluates using (F) 500 ml EDTA in case of the Ca⁺⁺ dependent anti-Flag affinity column or (S) 50 mM diaminobiotin in case of the streptavidin column; b=eluates from (F) and (S) derived by boiling in loading buffer.

FIG. 11 is a photographic representation of LHL purified via kappa-loaded streptavidin column as shown on a silver stained 20% w/v polyacrylamide SDS PHAST-gel, LHL=LHL alone plus streptavidin matrix; LHL-kappa=LHL purified on the kappa-loaded streptavidin matrix, kappa=kappa alone bound to streptavidin matrix.

FIG. 12 is a schematic representation of the CATAB precursor TLHL.

FIG. 13 is a photographic representation of a silver stained 20% w/v polyacrylamide SDS PHAST-gel analysis of purified TLHL from two different recombinant CH10B clones. L=total lysate, P=periplasmic fraction; e=eluted with 50 mM diaminobiotin, b=eluated by boiling in loading buffer.

FIG. 14 is a photographic representation of a silver stained 20% w/v polyacrylamide SDS PHAST-gel of TEV cleaved TLHL. Lane one=TLHL uncleaved; lane two=TLHL cleaved with 10 units of TEV; lane three and four=cleavage was performed in 20 μl instead of 10 μl volume as in lane one and two. The identity of the TEV protease band was confirmed in later experiments.

FIG. 15 is a representation showing LHL.seq induced B cell activation: fsc, b7-1, b7-2 analysis by FACS. Mesenteric lymphnode cells from C3H/HeJ were stimulated in triplicate cultures at 3×10⁵/well. Upregulation of activation markers on B cells was monitored by gating on B200“Thyl” cells to identify B cells. Results are expressed as FACS-histogramms, showing FSC and B7-1 and B7-2 staining levels. Grey lines indicate background staining from cells incubated in medium alone and black lines shown individual results. Anti IgM and anti kappa were included as positive controls and LPS as a negative control.

FIG. 16 is a representation showing LHL.seq induced B cell activation FSC, MHC Class II analysis by FACS. FACS-Analysis was performed as described above, Grey lines indicate background staining from cells incubated in medium alone and black lines shown individual results. Anti IgM is positive control and LHL.seq plus huIgG as a control.

FIG. 17 is a representation showing LHL.seq induced B cell activation: dose-response analysis in proliferation assays. Mesenteric lymphnode cells from C3H/HsJ (upper panel) and splenocytes from CBA/J mice (lower panel) were prepared as described above. The lymphocytes were stimulated in triplicate cultures at 1×10⁵/well in flat bottom 96-well plates in complete RPMI+10% FCS medium at 37° C. for 2 days. Cells are pulsed for the last 6 hours with ³H-thymidine. DNA was harvested onto glassfibre filters and incorporation of ³H-thymidine was measured in a β-counter. Results are expressed as mean of triplicate cultures including standard deviation.

FIG. 18 is a representation showing TLHL induced B cell activation: analysis FACS. Mesenteric lymph node cells from C3H/HeJ mice were centrifuged in Nycodenz (1.091 g/cm³) followed by 1 hour adherence on plastic at 37° C. Lymphocytes were stimulated at 3×10⁵ cells per well with LPS, anti-IgM antibodies, LHL.seq, TLHL and TEV-cleaved TLHL. On day 1 of culture cells were stained for B7-1 and B7-2 B lymphocytes were identified by expression of B220 and lack of expression of Thy 1.2. The activation status of B cells was confirmed by the increase of their FSC and expression of B7-2 and B7-1.

FIG. 19 is a representation showing TLHL induced B cell activation: analysis by proliferation assay 2×10⁵ splenocytes from CBA/J mice were cultured and stimulated as described. On day of culture the cells were pulsed for 6 hrs with ³H thymidine. The incorporation of ³H thymidine is shown in counts per minute (cpm). MED=medium alone; TEV=TEV protease; TLHL=TLHL; TLHL+TEV=TEV-cleaved TLHL; LHL=LHL.seq.

FIG. 20 is a representation showing purification of LHL-OMP on a silver stained 20% w/v polyacrylamide SDS PHAST-gel analysis of huIgG affinity column purified LHL-omp from total DH10B cell lysate. LHL-omp was run next to a molecular size marker and shows the correct molecular weight of approximately 19.5 kD.

FIG. 21 is a representation showing LHL-OMP induced B cell activation. Splenocytes of C3H/HeJ mice were centrifuged in Nycodenz (1.091 g/cm³) followed by 1 hour adherence on plastic at 37° C. Cells were simulated at 3×10⁵ per well with LPS, anti-IgM antibodies, LHL.seq at 1 μg/ml, LHL-omp at 2 μg/ml, anti CD40 mAb (clone GFK45.5) at 0.5 μg/ml, LHL-omp at 125 ng/ml and combinations of both concentrations of LHL-omp with anti-CD40. On day 1 after stimulation cells were stained for B7-1 and B7-2. B lymphocytes were identified by expression of B220 and lack of expression of Thy 1.2. The activation status of B cells was confirmed by increase of their FSC and by expression of B7-2 and/or B7-1. LHL.seq data taken from representative experiments (for example, FIG. 18).

FIG. 22 is a representation showing LHL-OMP induced B cell proliferation. Splenocytes of C3H/HeJ mice were centrifuged in Nycodenz (1.091 g/cm³) followed by 1 hour adherence on plastic at 37° C. Cells were stimulated at 2×10⁵ per well with LHL.seq (1 μg/ml), anti-IgM antibodies (20 μg/ml) and LHL-omp (2 μg/ml). After 2 and 3 days of culture the cells were pulsed with ³H thymidine. ³H thymidine-incorporation into DNA was assessed in a β-counter.

FIG. 23 is a schematic representation of ompL.

FIG. 24 is a schematic representation of Fv-catAb.

SUMMARY OF SEQ ID NOs. SEQ ID NO MOLECULE Nucleotide Amino acid LHL 1 2 CATAB-TEV 3 4 TLHL 5 6 LHL.seq 7 8 FLAG epitope — 9 Kappa 10 11 LHL-omp 12 13 Strep-tag — 14

EXAMPLE 1 GENERATION OF LHL FROM SYNTHETIC OLIGONUCLEOTIDES

LHL was generated from three overlapping synthetic oligos, a 115mer, a 116mer and a 105mer, using the proofreading DNA polymerase Pfu in two 20 cycle PCR reactions (see FIG. 1). The two PCR products (290 bp and 200 bp) were purified and blunt end cloned into the expression vector pASK75. The sequence was verified by automated sequencing. All subsequent PCRs were done in a similar fashion as described in the literature. The nucleotide and corresponding amino acid sequence for LHL is shown in SEQ ID NO:1 and SEQ ID NO:2 respectively.

EXAMPLE 2 EXPRESSION OF LHL IN E. COLI AND PURIFICATION OVER A HUMAN IgG (huIgG) AFFINITY COLUMN

The expression vector pASK75 directs protein expression via the ompA signal peptide into the periplasm of E. coli. Protein expression was induced with 200 ng/ml anhydrotetracycline for 16 hrs in midlog E. coli DH10B cultures. Cells were lysed and soluble LHL purified (>95%) over a huIgG affinity column (FIG. 2). Extensive washes with 0.5% v/v Triton X-100 were performed on the affinity column in order to eliminate endotoxins from the preparations. Expression levels were estimated at 20 mg per liter of culture.

EXAMPLE 3 GENERATION OF AN LHL PROTEIN CARRYING THE N-TERMINAL FLAG EPITOPE AND THE C-TERMINAL STREP-TAG

A form of LHL (referred to herein as “LHL.seq”) was generated by PCR containing the FLAG epitope at its N-terminus and the so called strep-tag at its C-terminus (FIG. 3). The nucleotide and corresponding amino acid sequence for LHL.seq is shown in SEQ ID NO:7 and SEQ ID NO:8, respectively. The FLAG epitope comprises the amino acids DYKDDDDK (SEQ ID NO;9) and the strep-tag the amino acids AWRHPQFGG (SEQ ID NO:14). The FLAG epitope is recognised by several anti-FLAG monoclonal antibodies and the strep-tag by streptavidin. The strep-tag was used for purification of LHL.seq over a streptavidin column. LHL.seq was washed with 0.5% v/v Triton X-100, Tween20 and PBS while bound to the column in order to minimise endotoxin levels. LHL.seq was eluated with either 100 mM glycine pH2.0 or with 1 mg/ml diaminobiotin in PBS. In this method LHL.seq was not purified on the basis of binding immunoglobulin, thereby eliminating potential contamination of other unknown bacterial proteins which also bind immunoglobulins. The biological activity of LHL.seq, however, remained identical to that of LHL. The FLAG-epitope was added to the N-terminus in order to facilitate the secretion of LHL.seq into the periplasmic space. As in previous expression studies, this was unsuccessful and LHL.seq needed to be purified from total bacterial lysate (FIG. 4). As a result of this, the ompA signal peptide is not removed, which in turn led to formation of LHL.seq multimers.

EXAMPLE 4 MITOGENIC ACTIVITY OF LHL ON B CELLS

Mitogenic activity of LHL on B cells was tested in overnight cultures of splenocytes and mesenteric lymphocytes as well as on purified B cells. The activation status of B cells was analysed by FACS, examining B cell size and induction of B7-2 surface expression. LHL's activation potency is similar to LPS (10 μg/ml), a bacterial mitogenic lipopolysaccharide and anti-IgM antibody (25 μg/ml), which crosslinks surface IgM. The results have been independently obtained in several different mouse strain e.g. B10.A(4R), CBA, C3H/HeJ and BALB/c. B cells showed a clear dose response to LHL when titrated in 5-fold dilutions (25 μg/ml to 1.6 ng/ml) in the activation assay. The results are shown in FIG. 5. Parallel experiments analysing the T cell activation status within the same cultures demonstrated that LHL has no effect on T cells. T cells did not show any blast formation not did they upregulate activation markers, e.g. IL-2 receptor alpha chain (CS25).

EXAMPLE 5 BLOCKING OF LHL MITOGENICITY BY HuIgG

In the same experiments, soluble huIgG (500 μg/ml) which binds to the L domains was used to specifically block the activity of LHL. These results rule out that B cell activation was due to a contamination of the bacterially produced LHL with endotoxins. The results are shown in FIG. 6.

EXAMPLE 6 PROCESSING OF LHL BY B CELLS AND PRESENTATION OF THE H EPITOPE TO THE HEL-SPECIFIC HYBRIDOMA 3A9

Splenocytes or mesenteric lymphocytes were cocultured with the T cell hybridoma 3A9 in the presence of LHL. 3A9 is specific for the HEL peptide 52-61aa presented on MHC II H-2A^(K). Upon recognition of this peptide, 3A9 secretes IL-2, IL-2 production was measured in a bio assay which evaluates the proliferation of an IL-2 dependent cell line (CTLL) on the basis of ³H-thymidine incorporation during DNA synthesis (FIG. 7). Presentation of H to 3A9 by B cells was clearly demonstrated by the proliferation of the CTLL and could be specifically blocked with huIgG.

EXAMPLE 7 GENERATION OF THE VARIABLE (V)-KAPPA LIGHT CHAIN ACCORDING TO THE HUMAN LEN PROTEIN SEQUENCE

The amino acid sequence of the gene encoding the human myeloma protein LEN was used to generate a variable kappa light chain. This human kappa light chain protein (hereinafter referred to as “kappa”) is soluble at relatively high concentrations and has been shown to bind protein L. Kappa was generated from synthetic oligonucleotides by PCR. To facilitate protein purification, a FLAG epitope was added to the N-terminus and a strep-tag to the C-terminus (FIG. 8). The nucleotide and amino acid sequence of kappa is shown in SEQ ID NO:10 and 11, respectively.

EXAMPLE 8 EXPRESSION OF KAPPA IN E. COLI DH10B

Kappa was cloned into pASK75, allowing inducible expression of kappa into the periplasmic space of E. coli. Expression was induced in logarithmically growing cultures of E. coli strain DH10B cells with 400 ng/ml of anhydro-tetracycline for >4 hrs (FIG. 9).

EXAMPLE 9 PURIFICATION OF KAPPA PROTEIN FROM THE PERIPLASM OF DH10B

Cultures were spun down and resuspended in a buffer containing 400 mM sucrose on ice. After 20 min cells were pelleted. Kappa was then purified over an anti-FLAG and/or streptavidin column from the periplasmic fraction (FIG. 10).

EXAMPLE 10 CONFIRMATION OF PROPER FOLDING OF KAPPA AFTER PURIFICATION

The proper folding of kappa was demonstrated by its capacity to bind LHL. Kappa was bound to the streptavidin column via its strep-tag. This kappa-loaded column was then shown to bind LHL (FIG. 11). The non strep-tag carrying LHL did not bind to the streptavidin column alone.

EXAMPLE 11 GENERATION OF TLHL

TLHL was generated from LHL, kappa and synthetic oligonucleotides encoding a linker connecting kappa and LHL by PCR. The linker contained an amino acid sequence corresponding to the tobacco etch virus (TEV) protease recognition/cleave site. All components were cloned into pASK75 resulting in the following protein sequence: FLAG-kappa-linker-TEV-LHL-streptag (FIG. 12). Potentially, TLHL could show similar characteristics as CATAB, since one kappa binding site is blocked and two are required for surface immunoglobulin cross-linking. The nucleotide and amino acid sequences of TLHL are shown in SEQ ID NO:5 and SEQ ID NO:6, respectively.

EXAMPLE 12 EXPRESSION OF TLHL IN DH10B

TLHL expression was induced in logarithmically growing cultures by addition of 400 ng/ml anhydro-tetracycline for >4 hrs. TLHL was not secreted into the periplasmic space and caused some cell lysis after induction.

EXAMPLE 13 PURIFICATION OF TLHL FROM TOTAL BACTERIAL LYSATE

TLHL was purified via its strep-tag over a streptavidin column from total bacterial lysate (FIG. 13). Endotoxin levels were reduced using the washing protocol earlier described.

EXAMPLE 14 CLEAVAGE OF TLHL INTO “T” AND “LHL” WITH TEV

TLHL was designed so that the kappa portion of the protein could be cleaved off by the TEV protease. The TEV cleavage would generate two polypeptides, each of 172 amino acids. The identical size of the protein fragments is due to TLHL not being secreted into the periplasmic space of E. coli and, therefore, retaining the ompA signal peptide. Incubation of TLHL with the TEV protease in PBS at room temperature or at 4° C. produced therefore, a 19 kD band on an SDS-PAGE gel (FIG. 14).

EXAMPLE 15 ASSEMBLY OF CATAB-TEV FROM TLHL AND KAPPA BY PCR

CATAB-TEV is assembled from TLHL and kappa by PCR. The TLHL and kappa can be linked by different peptides, for example, TNF amino acids 1-31, that are potential target sites for proteolytic antibodies. In this case, the linker includes a recognition sequence for the tobacco etch virus (TEV) protease which allows the generation of LHL from CATAB-TEV in vitro. The nucleotide and corresponding amino acid sequences of CATAB-TEV are shown in SEQ ID NO:3 and SEQ ID NO:4.

EXAMPLE 16 EXPRESSION OF CATAB IN DH10B AND PURIFICATION OVER A STREPTAVIDIN AFFINITY COLUMN VIA STREP-TAG

CATAB-TEV is expressed and purified in the same way as TLHL (see above).

EXAMPLE 17 DEMONSTRATION OF NON-MITOGENIC ACTIVITY OF CATAB-TEV ON B CELLS

CATAB-TEV is tested in the already established B cell assays which are used to analyse the mitogenic activity of LHL and LHL.seq.

EXAMPLE 18 REVELATION OF THE MITOGENIC ACTIVITY OF CATAB BY PROTEOLYTIC CLEAVAGE WITH TEV PROTEASE

Digestion of CATAB-TEV with the site specific protease from TEV cleaves the covalent bond between LHL and the kappa domains. This cleavage generates the mitogenic compound LHL which is tested in the standardised B cell activation assays.

EXAMPLE 19 USAGE OF CATAB IN SEVERAL MOUSE STRAINS OF THE K-HAPLOTYPE

Several mouse strains are immunised by different routes of administration, e.g. intro-splenic, in order to elicit a catalytic antibody response in vivo. The gld and lpr mutant strains are used as they have been shown to have a relatively high incidence of naturally occurring catalytic auto-antibodies, e.g. antibodies with DNAse activity.

EXAMPLE 20 DETECTION OF CATAB SPECIFIC CATALYTIC ANTIBODIES FROM THE SERUM

Serum antibodies from immunised mice are purified for example on a LHL affinity column. Purified antibodies may be incubated with ¹²⁵I-labelled CATAB and the proteolytic cleavage is evaluated on PAGE gels. In addition, streptavidin may be used to immobilise CATAB via its C-terminal strep-tag on 96 well ELISA plates. Immobilised CATAB is proteolytically cleaved by incubation with purified catalytic serum antibodies and an N-terminal affinity tag, e.g. flag epitope, is lost. This loss is detected in a sandwich ELISA assay using horse radish peroxidase (HRPO) conjugated antibodies. B cells producing catalytic antibodies can be recovered by standard hybridoma techniques and the catalytic antibodies can be humanised by recombinant DNA technology. For example, “human” antibodies can be derived from humanized mice.

EXAMPLE 21 LHL.seq INDUCED B7-1 EXPRESSION

LHL.seq was tested for its ability to activate B cells as compared to stimulation with anti-IgM and anti-kappa. Activation status was measured by the induction of cell surface expression of the activation markers B7-1 and B7-2 and by entry of B cells into cell cycle. Levels of expression of B7-1 and B7-2 were determined by flow cytometry (FACS) with fluorescence-labelled monoclonal antibodies while entry into cell cycle was monitored by an increase in cell size by Forward Light Scatter (FSC).

The method employed was as follows. Mesenteric lymphnode cells from C3H/HeJ mice were centrifuged in Nycodenz (1.091 g/cm³) to remove dead cells and red blood cells (rbc). This was followed by 1 hour adherence on plastic at 37° C. to remove adherent cells such as macrophages. Lymph node cells were stimulated in triplicate cultures 3×10⁵/well in flat bottom 96-well plates in complete RPMI+10% FCS medium at 37° C. for 1-3 days. Upregulation of activation markers on B cells was monitored by gating on B220³⁰Thyl⁻cells to identify B cells. Stimulation with LPS (20 μg/ml), polyclonal F(ab)₂ anti-IgM antibodies (20 μg/ml) and anti-kappa antibodies (10 μg/ml) were included as controls. LHL.seq was used at 1 μg/ml. C3H/HeJ mice were used as source of lymphocytes since this particular mouse strain is non-responsive to LPS. The use of this strain in combination with the LPS control effectively precludes the possibility that B cell stimulation induced by LHL.seq were due to LPS (endotoxin) contamination of the bacterially expressed proteins.

FACS analysis showed that this two day stimulation of C3H/HeJ lymph node cells with LPS did not result in B cell activation whereas stimulation with either anti-IgM antibodies, anti-kappa antibodies or LHL.seq did as measured by an increased FSC and upregulation of B7-2. The characteristic potency of LHL.seq is demonstrated by the strong induction of B7-1 expression after incubation (see FIG. 15). Anti-IgM induces B7-1 on day 2-3 stimulation.

EXAMPLE 22 LHL.seq INDUCED MHC CLASS II

LHL.seq was compared in its potential to ensure proper upregulation of MHC class II on stimulated B cells. Anti-IgM antibodies (20 μg/ml) as well as LHL.seq (1 μg/ml) blocked with huIgG (500 μg/ml) were included as controls. The method used was as described in Example 21.

Upregulation of MHC Class II molecules on B cells is a prerequisite to receive T cell help in vivo.

Overnight stimulation of C3H/HeJ lymph node cells with anti-IgM antibodies as well as LHL.seq did result in increased FSC and upregulation of MHC class II. LHL.seq's activities were completely blocked by addition of 500 μg/ml huIgG to the cultures (see FIG. 16).

EXAMPLE 23 LHL.seq INDUCED PROLIFERATION IN A DOSE DEPENDENT FASHION

Serial dilutions of LHL.seq were used to stimulate B cell proliferation. The experiment demonstrated that LHL.seq's biological properties are similar to conventional B cell mitogens like anti-IgM antibodies. Thus, dose-response curves for stimulation of either mesenteric lymphnode cells from C3H/HeJ and splenocytes from CBA/J were obtained (see FIG. 17).

EXAMPLE 24 TLHL INDUCED B CELL ACTIVATION

LHL.seq, TLHL and TEV-cleaved TLHL were tested for their ability to activate B cells as measured by the induction of cell surface expression of the activation markers B7-1 (CD86) and B7-2 (CD80) and by entry of B cells into cell cycle. Levels of expression of B7-1 and B7-2 were determined by flow cytometry (FACS) with fluorescence-labelled monoclonal antibodies while proliferation was monitored by an increase in cell size by Forward Light Scatter (FSC) and by ³H-thymidine-uptake assays.

The method employed as described in Example 21.

Overnight stimulation of C3H/HeJ lymph node cells with LPS did not result in B cell activation whereas stimulation with either anti-IgM antibodies or LHL.seq did as measured by an increased FSC and upregulation of B7-2. The characteristic potency of LHL.seq is demonstrated by the strong induction of B7-1 expression after overnight incubation (see FIG. 18). Anti-IgM induces B7-1 on day 2-3 of stimulation.

TLHL, however, activated B cells to the same extent as LHL.seq. This was unexpected since it was presumed that blocking one L domain with a covalently linked kappa would prevent crosslinking of immunoglobulin on the B cell surface. Prevention of crosslinking should result in no or significantly lower B cell activation than that achieved with equal amounts of LHL.seq. TEV-cleaved TLHL, which results in omp-kappa (see below) plus the LHL.seq part, gave much lower B cell activation than uncleaved TLHL as indicated by less B7-1 and B7-2 upregulation and lower FSC increase (FIG. 18).

Splenocytes from CBA/J mice were centrifuged in Nycodenz (1.091 g/cm³) to remove dead cells and rbc. This was followed by 1 hour adherence on plastic at 37° C. to remove adherent cells. Splenocytes were then stimulated in triplicate cultures at 2×10⁵/well in flat bottom 96-well plates in complete RPMI+10% v/v FCS medium at 37° C. for 2 days. Cells were pulsed for the last 6 hours with ³H-thymidine. DNA was then harvested onto glassfibre filters and incorporation of ³H-thymidine was measured in a β-counter.

The results obtained by FACS analysis were confirmed by the proliferation data; TLHL and LHL.seq induced equivalent B cell proliferation while TEV-cleaved TLHL was about 70% less potent (FIG. 19).

EXAMPLE 25 TEV-CLEAVED TLHL STIMULATION DATA CONFIRM OMP INDUCED MULTIMERISATION

The B cell activation data lead the inventors to the conclusion that both LHL, LHL.seq and TLHL exist in solution as multimeric molecules. While dimeric or oligomeric immunoglobulin-binding molecules such as anti-IgM antibodies induce B cell activation, multimers such as anti-IgD-dextran result in a significantly higher degree of B cell activation. This is also the case with LHL, LHL.seq and TLHL in the above experiments as demonstrated by the extensive upregulation of B7-1 after overnight culture. The multimerisation is facilitated by the ompA signal peptide (omp). It has been published by others that the ompA signal peptide forms multimers in aqueous solution. Evidence for LHL, LHL.seq and TLHL aggregation has also been obtained in HPLC studies.

A new recombinant LHL.seq protein lacking the ompA signal peptide, called LHL-omp, was engineered which also confirms these conclusions (see below).

EXAMPLE 26 TLHL MULTIMERISATION OVERCOMES “KAPPA-BLOCKING”

Although one ‘L’ domain should be blocked by kappa in TLHL, the multimerisation mediated by the omp allows several free ‘L’ domains to exist in one multimeric molecule [TLHL]_(n). This will lead to extensive sIg crosslinking and full B cell activation as demonstrated.

EXAMPLE 27 GENERATION AND ANALYSIS OF LHL-OMP

LHL-omp was generated from LHL.seq via PCR with the proofreading polymerase Pfu eliminating the ompA signal sequence.

EXAMPLE 28 AFFINITY COLUMN PURIFICATION OF LHL-OMP

Although LHL-omp contains a Strep-tag, it could not be purified via the Streptavidin column using the standard protocol, indicating a lower avidity to the column matrix than that of LHL.seq. This lower avidity confirms the multimerisation of LHL.seq via omp, being the only difference between LHL.seq and LHL-omp. In agreement with this LHL-omp was readily purified over a huIgG affinity column FIG. 20).

EXAMPLE 29 LHL-OMP INDUCED B CELL ACTIVATION

The ability of LHL-omp to induce B cell activation was assessed by incubating splenocytes from C3H/HeJ mice for varying periods of time before analysing B7-1 and B7-2 expression levels on B cells as outlined above. The progression of B cells into cell cycle was monitored by FACS and proliferation assays.

Cells were prepared and cultured as described above. LPS (20 μg/ml) and anti-IgM (20 μg/ml) were used as controls.

Stimulation of C3H/HeJ splenocytes with LPS did not result in detectable B cell activation whereas treatment with either anti-IgM antibodies or LHL.seq induced B cell activation during overnight culture; increased FSC and B7-2 upregulation for anti-IgM antibodies and increased FSC and B7-1 and B7-2 expression for LHL.seq. LHL-omp, used at 2 μg/ml, was less potent than LHL.seq in inducing upregulation of B7-1, B7-2 and blasting of B cells, as indicated by the FSC profile. The unchanged FSC profile indicated that LHL-omp did not induce B cell proliferation (see FIG. 21). This was confirmed in proliferation assays (FIG. 22).

B cells were stimulated simultaneously with LHL-omp and anti-CD40 antibodies (mAb FGK45.5 at a concentration of 0.5 μg/ml). Anti-CD40 antibodies served as a partial substitute for T cell help. The combination of sIg and helper T cell like signaling achieved good levels of B cell activation and proliferation. This could especially be demonstrated when using LHL-omp at a concentration of 125 ng/ml. 125 ng/ml induced no B cell activation on its own, however, when used in combination with the anti-CD40 antibody, which by itself is also of low potency, B7-1, B7-2 and FSC upregulation were achieved. Suggesting that LHL-omp and anti-CD40 antibodies can act synergistically (see FIG. 21).

EXAMPLE 30 UTILISING OMP TO DESIGN A NOVEL MULTIMERIC MITOGEN

Experimental data obtained show that the signal peptide from the outer membrane protein A (ompA) of E. coli induces aggregation of the recombinant proteins LHL.seq and TLHL. The ompA signal peptide (omp) is usually cleaved off once the protein reaches its destination, the bacterial periplasmic space. In the case of LHL, LHL.seq and TLHL, however, the secretion into the periplasm is impaired. All three proteins remain in the cytoplasm and the omp peptide forms their N-terminal part. The N-terminal omp peptide induces multimerisation as demonstrated by the potentiation of their biological activity as compared to the recombinant protein LHL-omp and TEV-cleaved TLHL.

The observation that omp induces multimerisation allows the design of simpler molecules with the same desired biological function as LHL, TLHL and CATAB. For this purpose we propose the following protein design. Above results demonstrate that the proteins described are not secreted into the periplasmic space. It should therefore be possible to produce proteins that have an omp peptide as their N-terminal part and L or HL as their C-terminal part. As omp allows the formation of multimers, this should result in the formation of [ompL]_(n), hereafter called ompL, or [ompHL]_(n) where n is equal or larger than 2(see FIG. 23).

EXAMPLE 31 MULTIMERISATION OF OMPL AND DESIGN OF FV-CATAB

Multimerisation of ompL generates a protein complex that should allow crosslinking of surface immunoglobulins in a similar fashion to LHL or LHL.seq. OmpL itself, however, is a relatively simple monomeric protein which needs only a single blocking entity. This blocking domain will be the below described scdsFv resulting the fusion protein ompL-linker-TEV-scdsFv (Fv-catAb). The reverse of this configuration, scdsFv-TEV-linker-Lomp (pFv-catAb) will also be generated, as this might allow for periplasmic secretion of pFv-catAb. The latter pFv-catAb requires the functional multimerisation and biological activity of Lomp, a protein with the reverse fusion order of ompL and the omp peptide at its C-terminal (see FIG. 24). All described recombinant proteins are tested in the experimental systems outlined above.

EXAMPLE 32 REDESIGN OF THE L DOMAIN BLOCKING ENTITY

Two potential problems are associated with the use of the LEN kappa light chain as a blocking domain for L. First, proteins (ie. LHL, LHL.seq and TLHL) are not secreted into the periplasmic space during expression in E. coli, which might cause folding problems in the kappa portion. Secondly, there are no direct means of purifying proteins with potentially correctly folded kappas in the described system, as antibodies against kappa would be bound by LHL.seq.

In order to allow for purification of correctly folded growth factor precursors, the blocking entity was therefore redesigned. Kappa will be replaced by a single chain (sc) antibody which is stabilised by an internal disulfide bridge (disulfide bridge stabilised, ds). This scdsFv will be derived from the extensively described plasmacytoma McPc603 with anti-phosphorylcholine specificity. The phosphorylcholine-binding ability will facilitate the purification of correctly folded recombinant proteins via a phosphorylcholine affinity column (see FIG. 24).

EXAMPLE 33 POTENTIAL USE OF LHL/CATAB DERIVATIVES IN HUMANS

In order to enable production of catalytic antibodies in humans, slight modifications of the constructs need to be performed. The ‘H’T cell epitope has to be exchanged for an “universal T cell epitope” which will be recognised by T cells in the majority of humans in conjunction with their more diverse MHC class II molecules.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention described herein is susceptible to variations and modifications other than those specifically described. It is to be understood that the invention includes all such variations and modifications. The invention also includes all of the steps, features, compositions and compounds referred to or indicated in this specification, individually or collectively, and any and all combinations of any two or more of said steps or features.

14 548 base pairs nucleic acid single linear DNA (genomic) not provided CDS 1..548 1 ATG AAA AAG ACA GCT ATC GCG ATT GCA GTG GCA CTG GCT GGT TTC GCT 48 Met Lys Lys Thr Ala Ile Ala Ile Ala Val Ala Leu Ala Gly Phe Ala 1 5 10 15 ACC GTA GCG CAG GCC GCT CCG AAA GAT AAC ACG GAA GAA GTC ACG ATC 96 Thr Val Ala Gln Ala Ala Pro Lys Asp Asn Thr Glu Glu Val Thr Ile 20 25 30 AAA GCG AAC CTG ATC TTT GCA AAT GGT AGC ACA CAA ACT GCA GAA TTC 144 Lys Ala Asn Leu Ile Phe Ala Asn Gly Ser Thr Gln Thr Ala Glu Phe 35 40 45 AAA GGT ACC TTC GAA AAA GCG ACC TCG GAA GCT TAT GCG TAT GCA GAT 192 Lys Gly Thr Phe Glu Lys Ala Thr Ser Glu Ala Tyr Ala Tyr Ala Asp 50 55 60 ACT TTG AAG AAA GAC AAT GGT GAA TAT ACT GTA GAT GTT GCA GAT AAA 240 Thr Leu Lys Lys Asp Asn Gly Glu Tyr Thr Val Asp Val Ala Asp Lys 65 70 75 80 GGT TAC ACC CTG AAC ATC AAA TTC GCG GGT AAA GAA GCG ACC AAC CGT 288 Gly Tyr Thr Leu Asn Ile Lys Phe Ala Gly Lys Glu Ala Thr Asn Arg 85 90 95 AAC ACC GAC GGT TCC ACC GAC TAC GGT ATC TTA CAG ATC AAC TCT CGT 336 Asn Thr Asp Gly Ser Thr Asp Tyr Gly Ile Leu Gln Ile Asn Ser Arg 100 105 110 TGG GGT GGT CTG ACC CTG AAA GAA GAA GTC ACG ATC AAA GCG AAC CTG 384 Trp Gly Gly Leu Thr Leu Lys Glu Glu Val Thr Ile Lys Ala Asn Leu 115 120 125 ATC TTT GCA AAT GGT AGC ACA CAA ACT GCA GAA TTC AAA GGT ACC TTC 432 Ile Phe Ala Asn Gly Ser Thr Gln Thr Ala Glu Phe Lys Gly Thr Phe 130 135 140 GAA AAA GCG ACC TCG GAA GCT TAT GCG TAT GCA GAT ACT TTG AAG AAA 480 Glu Lys Ala Thr Ser Glu Ala Tyr Ala Tyr Ala Asp Thr Leu Lys Lys 145 150 155 160 GAC AAT GGT GAA TAT ACT GTA GAT GTT GCA GAT AAA GGT TAC ACC CTG 528 Asp Asn Gly Glu Tyr Thr Val Asp Val Ala Asp Lys Gly Tyr Thr Leu 165 170 175 AAC ATC AAA TTC GCG GGT TA 548 Asn Ile Lys Phe Ala Gly 180 182 amino acids amino acid linear protein not provided 2 Met Lys Lys Thr Ala Ile Ala Ile Ala Val Ala Leu Ala Gly Phe Ala 1 5 10 15 Thr Val Ala Gln Ala Ala Pro Lys Asp Asn Thr Glu Glu Val Thr Ile 20 25 30 Lys Ala Asn Leu Ile Phe Ala Asn Gly Ser Thr Gln Thr Ala Glu Phe 35 40 45 Lys Gly Thr Phe Glu Lys Ala Thr Ser Glu Ala Tyr Ala Tyr Ala Asp 50 55 60 Thr Leu Lys Lys Asp Asn Gly Glu Tyr Thr Val Asp Val Ala Asp Lys 65 70 75 80 Gly Tyr Thr Leu Asn Ile Lys Phe Ala Gly Lys Glu Ala Thr Asn Arg 85 90 95 Asn Thr Asp Gly Ser Thr Asp Tyr Gly Ile Leu Gln Ile Asn Ser Arg 100 105 110 Trp Gly Gly Leu Thr Leu Lys Glu Glu Val Thr Ile Lys Ala Asn Leu 115 120 125 Ile Phe Ala Asn Gly Ser Thr Gln Thr Ala Glu Phe Lys Gly Thr Phe 130 135 140 Glu Lys Ala Thr Ser Glu Ala Tyr Ala Tyr Ala Asp Thr Leu Lys Lys 145 150 155 160 Asp Asn Gly Glu Tyr Thr Val Asp Val Ala Asp Lys Gly Tyr Thr Leu 165 170 175 Asn Ile Lys Phe Ala Gly 180 1490 base pairs nucleic acid single linear DNA (genomic) not provided CDS 1..1490 3 ATG AAA AAG ACA GCT ATC GCG ATT GCA GTG GCA CTG GCT GGT TTC GCT 48 Met Lys Lys Thr Ala Ile Ala Ile Ala Val Ala Leu Ala Gly Phe Ala 1 5 10 15 ACC GTA GCG CAG GCC GAC TAC AAG GAC GAT GAC GAC AAG GAT ATC GTG 96 Thr Val Ala Gln Ala Asp Tyr Lys Asp Asp Asp Asp Lys Asp Ile Val 20 25 30 ATG ACC CAG TCT CCA GAC TCC CTG GCT GTG TCT CTG GGC GAG CGT GCC 144 Met Thr Gln Ser Pro Asp Ser Leu Ala Val Ser Leu Gly Glu Arg Ala 35 40 45 ACC ATC AAT TGC AAG TCC AGC CAG AGT GTT TTA TAC AGC TCC AAC AGC 192 Thr Ile Asn Cys Lys Ser Ser Gln Ser Val Leu Tyr Ser Ser Asn Ser 50 55 60 AAG AAC TAC CTG GCT TGG TAC CAG CAG AAA CCA GGT CAG CCT CCT AAG 240 Lys Asn Tyr Leu Ala Trp Tyr Gln Gln Lys Pro Gly Gln Pro Pro Lys 65 70 75 80 CTG CTC ATT TAC TGG GCA TCT ACC CGT GAA TCC GGC GTT CCT GAC CGT 288 Leu Leu Ile Tyr Trp Ala Ser Thr Arg Glu Ser Gly Val Pro Asp Arg 85 90 95 TTC AGT GGT AGC GGT TCT GGT ACA GAT TTC ACT CTC ACC ATC AGC AGC 336 Phe Ser Gly Ser Gly Ser Gly Thr Asp Phe Thr Leu Thr Ile Ser Ser 100 105 110 CTC CAG GCT GAA GAT GTG GCA GTT TAT TAC TGC CAG CAG TAT TAC AGT 384 Leu Gln Ala Glu Asp Val Ala Val Tyr Tyr Cys Gln Gln Tyr Tyr Ser 115 120 125 ACC CCG TAC TCC TTC GGT CAG GGT ACC AAA CTG GAA ATC AAA CGC TCC 432 Thr Pro Tyr Ser Phe Gly Gln Gly Thr Lys Leu Glu Ile Lys Arg Ser 130 135 140 145 GGT AGC GGT GGC GGT GGT TCT GGT GGT GGT GGG AGC TCT GGT GGT GGC 480 Gly Ser Gly Gly Gly Gly Ser Gly Gly Gly Gly Ser Ser Gly Gly Gly 150 155 160 TCT GGT GGT GGT AGC GAA AAC CTG TAC TTC CAG GGT GGT AGC GCC GAA 528 Ser Gly Gly Gly Ser Glu Asn Leu Tyr Phe Gln Gly Gly Ser Ala Glu 165 170 175 GAA GTC ACG ATC AAA GCG AAC CTG ATC TTT GCA AAT GGT AGC ACA CAA 576 Glu Val Thr Ile Lys Ala Asn Leu Ile Phe Ala Asn Gly Ser Thr Gln 180 185 190 ACT GCA GAA TTC AAA GGT ACC TTC GAA AAA GCG ACC TCG GAA GCT TAT 624 Thr Ala Glu Phe Lys Gly Thr Phe Glu Lys Ala Thr Ser Glu Ala Tyr 195 200 205 210 GCG TAT GCA GAT ACT TTG AAG AAA GAC AAT GGT GAA TAT ACT GTA GAT 672 Ala Tyr Ala Asp Thr Leu Lys Lys Asp Asn Gly Glu Tyr Thr Val Asp 215 220 225 GTT GCA GAT AAA GGT TAC ACC CTG AAC ATC AAA TTC GCG GGT AAA GAA 720 Val Ala Asp Lys Gly Tyr Thr Leu Asn Ile Lys Phe Ala Gly Lys Glu 230 235 240 GCG ACC AAC CGT AAC ACC GAC GGT TCC ACC GAC TAC GGT ATC TTA CAG 768 Ala Thr Asn Arg Asn Thr Asp Gly Ser Thr Asp Tyr Gly Ile Leu Gln 245 250 255 ATC AAC TCT CGT TGG GGT GGT CTG ACC AGC GCC GAA GAA GTC ACG ATC 816 Ile Asn Ser Arg Trp Gly Gly Leu Thr Ser Ala Glu Glu Val Thr Ile 260 265 270 275 AAA GCG AAC CTG ATC TTT GCA AAT GGT AGC ACA CAA ACT GCA GAA TTC 864 Lys Ala Asn Leu Ile Phe Ala Asn Gly Ser Thr Gln Thr Ala Glu Phe 280 285 290 AAA GGT ACC TTC GAA AAA GCG ACC TCG GAA GCT TAT GCG TAT GCA GAT 912 Lys Gly Thr Phe Glu Lys Ala Thr Ser Glu Ala Tyr Ala Tyr Ala Asp 295 300 305 ACT TTG AAG AAA GAC AAT GGT GAA TAT ACT GTA GAT GTT GCA GAT AAA 960 Thr Leu Lys Lys Asp Asn Gly Glu Tyr Thr Val Asp Val Ala Asp Lys 310 315 320 GGT TAC ACC CTG AAC ATC AAA TTC GCG GGT AAA GAA AGC GGT GGC GGT 1008 Gly Tyr Thr Leu Asn Ile Lys Phe Ala Gly Lys Glu Ser Gly Gly Gly 325 330 335 GGT TCT GGT GGT GGT GGG AGC GGC GCC GGT GGT GGC TCT GGT GGT GGT 1056 Gly Ser Gly Gly Gly Gly Ser Gly Ala Gly Gly Gly Ser Gly Gly Gly 340 345 350 355 AGC GAA AAC CTG TAC TTC CAG GGT GGT GGC GGT GGC AGC GGC GGT GGT 1104 Ser Glu Asn Leu Tyr Phe Gln Gly Gly Gly Gly Gly Ser Gly Gly Gly 360 365 370 GGT GAT ATC GTG ATG ACC CAG TCT CCA GAC TCC CTG GCT GTG TCT CTG 1152 Gly Asp Ile Val Met Thr Gln Ser Pro Asp Ser Leu Ala Val Ser Leu 375 380 385 GGC GAG CGT GCC ACC ATC AAT TGC AAG TCC AGC CAG AGT GTT TTA TAC 1200 Gly Glu Arg Ala Thr Ile Asn Cys Lys Ser Ser Gln Ser Val Leu Tyr 390 395 400 AGC TCC AAC AGC AAG AAC TAC CTG GCT TGG TAC CAG CAG AAA CCA GGT 1248 Ser Ser Asn Ser Lys Asn Tyr Leu Ala Trp Tyr Gln Gln Lys Pro Gly 405 410 415 CAG CCT CCT AAG CTG CTC ATT TAC TGG GCA TCT ACC CGT GAA TCC GGC 1296 Gln Pro Pro Lys Leu Leu Ile Tyr Trp Ala Ser Thr Arg Glu Ser Gly 420 425 430 435 GTT CCT GAC CGT TTC AGT GGT AGC GGT TCT GGT ACA GAT TTC ACT CTC 1344 Val Pro Asp Arg Phe Ser Gly Ser Gly Ser Gly Thr Asp Phe Thr Leu 440 445 450 ACC ATC AGC AGC CTC CAG GCT GAA GAT GTG GCA GTT TAT TAC TGC CAG 1392 Thr Ile Ser Ser Leu Gln Ala Glu Asp Val Ala Val Tyr Tyr Cys Gln 455 460 465 CAG TAT TAC AGT ACC CCG TAC TCC TTC GGT CAG GGT ACC AAA CTG GAA 1440 Gln Tyr Tyr Ser Thr Pro Tyr Ser Phe Gly Gln Gly Thr Lys Leu Glu 470 475 480 ATC AAA CGC AGC GGT AGC GCT TGG CGT CAC CCG CAG TTC GGT GGT TAA TA 1490 Ile Lys Arg Ser Gly Ser Ala Trp Arg His Pro Gln Phe Gly Gly * 485 490 495 500 495 amino acids amino acid linear protein not provided 4 Met Lys Lys Thr Ala Ile Ala Ile Ala Val Ala Leu Ala Gly Phe Ala 1 5 10 15 Thr Val Ala Gln Ala Asp Tyr Lys Asp Asp Asp Asp Lys Asp Ile Val 20 25 30 Met Thr Gln Ser Pro Asp Ser Leu Ala Val Ser Leu Gly Glu Arg Ala 35 40 45 Thr Ile Asn Cys Lys Ser Ser Gln Ser Val Leu Tyr Ser Ser Asn Ser 50 55 60 Lys Asn Tyr Leu Ala Trp Tyr Gln Gln Lys Pro Gly Gln Pro Pro Lys 65 70 75 80 Leu Leu Ile Tyr Trp Ala Ser Thr Arg Glu Ser Gly Val Pro Asp Arg 85 90 95 Phe Ser Gly Ser Gly Ser Gly Thr Asp Phe Thr Leu Thr Ile Ser Ser 100 105 110 Leu Gln Ala Glu Asp Val Ala Val Tyr Tyr Cys Gln Gln Tyr Tyr Ser 115 120 125 Thr Pro Tyr Ser Phe Gly Gln Gly Thr Lys Leu Glu Ile Lys Arg Ser 130 135 140 Gly Ser Gly Gly Gly Gly Ser Gly Gly Gly Gly Ser Ser Gly Gly Gly 145 150 155 160 Ser Gly Gly Gly Ser Glu Asn Leu Tyr Phe Gln Gly Gly Ser Ala Glu 165 170 175 Glu Val Thr Ile Lys Ala Asn Leu Ile Phe Ala Asn Gly Ser Thr Gln 180 185 190 Thr Ala Glu Phe Lys Gly Thr Phe Glu Lys Ala Thr Ser Glu Ala Tyr 195 200 205 Ala Tyr Ala Asp Thr Leu Lys Lys Asp Asn Gly Glu Tyr Thr Val Asp 210 215 220 Val Ala Asp Lys Gly Tyr Thr Leu Asn Ile Lys Phe Ala Gly Lys Glu 225 230 235 240 Ala Thr Asn Arg Asn Thr Asp Gly Ser Thr Asp Tyr Gly Ile Leu Gln 245 250 255 Ile Asn Ser Arg Trp Gly Gly Leu Thr Ser Ala Glu Glu Val Thr Ile 260 265 270 Lys Ala Asn Leu Ile Phe Ala Asn Gly Ser Thr Gln Thr Ala Glu Phe 275 280 285 Lys Gly Thr Phe Glu Lys Ala Thr Ser Glu Ala Tyr Ala Tyr Ala Asp 290 295 300 Thr Leu Lys Lys Asp Asn Gly Glu Tyr Thr Val Asp Val Ala Asp Lys 305 310 315 320 Gly Tyr Thr Leu Asn Ile Lys Phe Ala Gly Lys Glu Ser Gly Gly Gly 325 330 335 Gly Ser Gly Gly Gly Gly Ser Gly Ala Gly Gly Gly Ser Gly Gly Gly 340 345 350 Ser Glu Asn Leu Tyr Phe Gln Gly Gly Gly Gly Gly Ser Gly Gly Gly 355 360 365 Gly Asp Ile Val Met Thr Gln Ser Pro Asp Ser Leu Ala Val Ser Leu 370 375 380 Gly Glu Arg Ala Thr Ile Asn Cys Lys Ser Ser Gln Ser Val Leu Tyr 385 390 395 400 Ser Ser Asn Ser Lys Asn Tyr Leu Ala Trp Tyr Gln Gln Lys Pro Gly 405 410 415 Gln Pro Pro Lys Leu Leu Ile Tyr Trp Ala Ser Thr Arg Glu Ser Gly 420 425 430 Val Pro Asp Arg Phe Ser Gly Ser Gly Ser Gly Thr Asp Phe Thr Leu 435 440 445 Thr Ile Ser Ser Leu Gln Ala Glu Asp Val Ala Val Tyr Tyr Cys Gln 450 455 460 Gln Tyr Tyr Ser Thr Pro Tyr Ser Phe Gly Gln Gly Thr Lys Leu Glu 465 470 475 480 Ile Lys Arg Ser Gly Ser Ala Trp Arg His Pro Gln Phe Gly Gly 485 490 495 1031 base pairs nucleic acid single linear DNA (genomic) not provided CDS 1..1031 5 ATG AAA AAG ACA GCT ATC GCG ATT GCA GTG GCA CTG GCT GGT TTC GCT 48 Met Lys Lys Thr Ala Ile Ala Ile Ala Val Ala Leu Ala Gly Phe Ala 1 5 10 15 ACC GTA GCG CAG GCC GAC TAC AAG GAC GAT GAC GAC AAG GAT ATC GTG 96 Thr Val Ala Gln Ala Asp Tyr Lys Asp Asp Asp Asp Lys Asp Ile Val 20 25 30 ATG ACC CAG TCT CCA GAC TCC CTG GCT GTG TCT CTG GGC GAG CGT GCC 144 Met Thr Gln Ser Pro Asp Ser Leu Ala Val Ser Leu Gly Glu Arg Ala 35 40 45 ACC ATC AAT TGC AAG TCC AGC CAG AGT GTT TTA TAC AGC TCC AAC AGC 192 Thr Ile Asn Cys Lys Ser Ser Gln Ser Val Leu Tyr Ser Ser Asn Ser 50 55 60 AAG AAC TAC CTG GCT TGG TAC CAG CAG AAA CCA GGT CAG CCT CCT AAG 240 Lys Asn Tyr Leu Ala Trp Tyr Gln Gln Lys Pro Gly Gln Pro Pro Lys 65 70 75 80 CTG CTC ATT TAC TGG GCA TCT ACC CGT GAA TCC GGC GTT CCT GAC CGT 288 Leu Leu Ile Tyr Trp Ala Ser Thr Arg Glu Ser Gly Val Pro Asp Arg 85 90 95 TTC AGT GGT AGC GGT TCT GGT ACA GAT TTC ACT CTC ACC ATC AGC AGC 336 Phe Ser Gly Ser Gly Ser Gly Thr Asp Phe Thr Leu Thr Ile Ser Ser 100 105 110 CTC CAG GCT GAA GAT GTG GCA GTT TAT TAC TGC CAG CAG TAT TAC AGT 384 Leu Gln Ala Glu Asp Val Ala Val Tyr Tyr Cys Gln Gln Tyr Tyr Ser 115 120 125 ACC CCG TAC TCC TTC GGT CAG GGT ACC AAA CTG GAA ATC AAA CGC TCC 432 Thr Pro Tyr Ser Phe Gly Gln Gly Thr Lys Leu Glu Ile Lys Arg Ser 130 135 140 GGT AGC GGT GGC GGT GGT TCT GGT GGT GGT GGG AGC TCT GGT GGT GGC 480 Gly Ser Gly Gly Gly Gly Ser Gly Gly Gly Gly Ser Ser Gly Gly Gly 145 150 155 160 TCT GGT GGT GGT AGC GAA AAC CTG TAC TTC CAG GGT GGT AGC GCC GAA 528 Ser Gly Gly Gly Ser Glu Asn Leu Tyr Phe Gln Gly Gly Ser Ala Glu 165 170 175 GAA GTC ACG ATC AAA GCG AAC CTG ATC TTT GCA AAT GGT AGC ACA CAA 576 Glu Val Thr Ile Lys Ala Asn Leu Ile Phe Ala Asn Gly Ser Thr Gln 180 185 190 ACT GCA GAA TTC AAA GGT ACC TTC GAA AAA GCG ACC TCG GAA GCT TAT 624 Thr Ala Glu Phe Lys Gly Thr Phe Glu Lys Ala Thr Ser Glu Ala Tyr 195 200 205 GCG TAT GCA GAT ACT TTG AAG AAA GAC AAT GGT GAA TAT ACT GTA GAT 672 Ala Tyr Ala Asp Thr Leu Lys Lys Asp Asn Gly Glu Tyr Thr Val Asp 210 215 220 GTT GCA GAT AAA GGT TAC ACC CTG AAC ATC AAA TTC GCG GGT AAA GAA 720 Val Ala Asp Lys Gly Tyr Thr Leu Asn Ile Lys Phe Ala Gly Lys Glu 225 230 235 240 GCG ACC AAC CGT AAC ACC GAC GGT TCC ACC GAC TAC GGT ATC TTA CAG 768 Ala Thr Asn Arg Asn Thr Asp Gly Ser Thr Asp Tyr Gly Ile Leu Gln 245 250 255 ATC AAC TCT CGT TGG GGT GGT CTG ACC AGC GCC GAA GAA GTC ACG ATC 816 Ile Asn Ser Arg Trp Gly Gly Leu Thr Ser Ala Glu Glu Val Thr Ile 260 265 270 AAA GCG AAC CTG ATC TTT GCA AAT GGT AGC ACA CAA ACT GCA GAA TTC 864 Lys Ala Asn Leu Ile Phe Ala Asn Gly Ser Thr Gln Thr Ala Glu Phe 275 280 285 AAA GGT ACC TTC GAA AAA GCG ACC TCG GAA GCT TAT GCG TAT GCA GAT 912 Lys Gly Thr Phe Glu Lys Ala Thr Ser Glu Ala Tyr Ala Tyr Ala Asp 290 295 300 ACT TTG AAG AAA GAC AAT GGT GAA TAT ACT GTA GAT GTT GCA GAT AAA 960 Thr Leu Lys Lys Asp Asn Gly Glu Tyr Thr Val Asp Val Ala Asp Lys 305 310 315 320 GGT TAC ACC CTG AAC ATC AAA TTC GCG GGT AAA GAA AGC GCT TGG CGT 1008 Gly Tyr Thr Leu Asn Ile Lys Phe Ala Gly Lys Glu Ser Ala Trp Arg 325 330 335 CAC CCG CAG TTC GGT GGT TAA TA 1031 His Pro Gln Phe Gly Gly * 340 342 amino acids amino acid linear protein not provided 6 Met Lys Lys Thr Ala Ile Ala Ile Ala Val Ala Leu Ala Gly Phe Ala 1 5 10 15 Thr Val Ala Gln Ala Asp Tyr Lys Asp Asp Asp Asp Lys Asp Ile Val 20 25 30 Met Thr Gln Ser Pro Asp Ser Leu Ala Val Ser Leu Gly Glu Arg Ala 35 40 45 Thr Ile Asn Cys Lys Ser Ser Gln Ser Val Leu Tyr Ser Ser Asn Ser 50 55 60 Lys Asn Tyr Leu Ala Trp Tyr Gln Gln Lys Pro Gly Gln Pro Pro Lys 65 70 75 80 Leu Leu Ile Tyr Trp Ala Ser Thr Arg Glu Ser Gly Val Pro Asp Arg 85 90 95 Phe Ser Gly Ser Gly Ser Gly Thr Asp Phe Thr Leu Thr Ile Ser Ser 100 105 110 Leu Gln Ala Glu Asp Val Ala Val Tyr Tyr Cys Gln Gln Tyr Tyr Ser 115 120 125 Thr Pro Tyr Ser Phe Gly Gln Gly Thr Lys Leu Glu Ile Lys Arg Ser 130 135 140 Gly Ser Gly Gly Gly Gly Ser Gly Gly Gly Gly Ser Ser Gly Gly Gly 145 150 155 160 Ser Gly Gly Gly Ser Glu Asn Leu Tyr Phe Gln Gly Gly Ser Ala Glu 165 170 175 Glu Val Thr Ile Lys Ala Asn Leu Ile Phe Ala Asn Gly Ser Thr Gln 180 185 190 Thr Ala Glu Phe Lys Gly Thr Phe Glu Lys Ala Thr Ser Glu Ala Tyr 195 200 205 Ala Tyr Ala Asp Thr Leu Lys Lys Asp Asn Gly Glu Tyr Thr Val Asp 210 215 220 Val Ala Asp Lys Gly Tyr Thr Leu Asn Ile Lys Phe Ala Gly Lys Glu 225 230 235 240 Ala Thr Asn Arg Asn Thr Asp Gly Ser Thr Asp Tyr Gly Ile Leu Gln 245 250 255 Ile Asn Ser Arg Trp Gly Gly Leu Thr Ser Ala Glu Glu Val Thr Ile 260 265 270 Lys Ala Asn Leu Ile Phe Ala Asn Gly Ser Thr Gln Thr Ala Glu Phe 275 280 285 Lys Gly Thr Phe Glu Lys Ala Thr Ser Glu Ala Tyr Ala Tyr Ala Asp 290 295 300 Thr Leu Lys Lys Asp Asn Gly Glu Tyr Thr Val Asp Val Ala Asp Lys 305 310 315 320 Gly Tyr Thr Leu Asn Ile Lys Phe Ala Gly Lys Glu Ser Ala Trp Arg 325 330 335 His Pro Gln Phe Gly Gly 340 599 base pairs nucleic acid single linear DNA (genomic) not provided CDS 1..599 7 ATG AAA AAG ACA GCT ATC GCG ATT GCA GTG GCA CTG GCT GGT TTC GCT 48 Met Lys Lys Thr Ala Ile Ala Ile Ala Val Ala Leu Ala Gly Phe Ala 1 5 10 15 ACC GTA GCG CAG GCC GAC TAC AAG GAC GAT GAC GAC AAG GGC GCC GAA 96 Thr Val Ala Gln Ala Asp Tyr Lys Asp Asp Asp Asp Lys Gly Ala Glu 20 25 30 GAA GTC ACG ATC AAA GCG AAC CTG ATC TTT GCA AAT GGT AGC ACA CAA 144 Glu Val Thr Ile Lys Ala Asn Leu Ile Phe Ala Asn Gly Ser Thr Gln 35 40 45 ACT GCA GAA TTC AAA GGT ACC TTC GAA AAA GCG ACC TCG GAA GCT TAT 192 Thr Ala Glu Phe Lys Gly Thr Phe Glu Lys Ala Thr Ser Glu Ala Tyr 50 55 60 GCG TAT GCA GAT ACT TTG AAG AAA GAC AAT GGT GAA TAT ACT GTA GAT 240 Ala Tyr Ala Asp Thr Leu Lys Lys Asp Asn Gly Glu Tyr Thr Val Asp 65 70 75 80 GTT GCA GAT AAA GGT TAC ACC CTG AAC ATC AAA TTC GCG GGT AAA GAA 288 Val Ala Asp Lys Gly Tyr Thr Leu Asn Ile Lys Phe Ala Gly Lys Glu 85 90 95 GCG ACC AAC CGT AAC ACC GAC GGT TCC ACC GAC TAC GGT ATC TTA CAG 336 Ala Thr Asn Arg Asn Thr Asp Gly Ser Thr Asp Tyr Gly Ile Leu Gln 100 105 110 ATC AAC TCT CGT TGG GGT GGT CTG ACC AGC GCC GAA GAA GTC ACG ATC 384 Ile Asn Ser Arg Trp Gly Gly Leu Thr Ser Ala Glu Glu Val Thr Ile 115 120 125 AAA GCG AAC CTG ATC TTT GCA AAT GGT AGC ACA CAA ACT GCA GAA TTC 432 Lys Ala Asn Leu Ile Phe Ala Asn Gly Ser Thr Gln Thr Ala Glu Phe 130 135 140 AAA GGT ACC TTC GAA AAA GCG ACC TCG GAA GCT TAT GCG TAT GCA GAT 480 Lys Gly Thr Phe Glu Lys Ala Thr Ser Glu Ala Tyr Ala Tyr Ala Asp 145 150 155 160 ACT TTG AAG AAA GAC AAT GGT GAA TAT ACT GTA GAT GTT GCA GAT AAA 528 Thr Leu Lys Lys Asp Asn Gly Glu Tyr Thr Val Asp Val Ala Asp Lys 165 170 175 GGT TAC ACC CTG AAC ATC AAA TTC GCG GGT AAA GAA AGC GCT TGG CGT 576 Gly Tyr Thr Leu Asn Ile Lys Phe Ala Gly Lys Glu Ser Ala Trp Arg 180 185 190 CAC CCG CAG TTC GGT GGT TAA TA 599 His Pro Gln Phe Gly Gly * 195 200 198 amino acids amino acid linear protein not provided 8 Met Lys Lys Thr Ala Ile Ala Ile Ala Val Ala Leu Ala Gly Phe Ala 1 5 10 15 Thr Val Ala Gln Ala Asp Tyr Lys Asp Asp Asp Asp Lys Gly Ala Glu 20 25 30 Glu Val Thr Ile Lys Ala Asn Leu Ile Phe Ala Asn Gly Ser Thr Gln 35 40 45 Thr Ala Glu Phe Lys Gly Thr Phe Glu Lys Ala Thr Ser Glu Ala Tyr 50 55 60 Ala Tyr Ala Asp Thr Leu Lys Lys Asp Asn Gly Glu Tyr Thr Val Asp 65 70 75 80 Val Ala Asp Lys Gly Tyr Thr Leu Asn Ile Lys Phe Ala Gly Lys Glu 85 90 95 Ala Thr Asn Arg Asn Thr Asp Gly Ser Thr Asp Tyr Gly Ile Leu Gln 100 105 110 Ile Asn Ser Arg Trp Gly Gly Leu Thr Ser Ala Glu Glu Val Thr Ile 115 120 125 Lys Ala Asn Leu Ile Phe Ala Asn Gly Ser Thr Gln Thr Ala Glu Phe 130 135 140 Lys Gly Thr Phe Glu Lys Ala Thr Ser Glu Ala Tyr Ala Tyr Ala Asp 145 150 155 160 Thr Leu Lys Lys Asp Asn Gly Glu Tyr Thr Val Asp Val Ala Asp Lys 165 170 175 Gly Tyr Thr Leu Asn Ile Lys Phe Ala Gly Lys Glu Ser Ala Trp Arg 180 185 190 His Pro Gln Phe Gly Gly 195 8 amino acids amino acid single linear DNA (genomic) not provided 9 Asp Tyr Lys Asp Asp Asp Asp Lys 1 5 470 base pairs nucleic acid single linear DNA (genomic) not provided CDS 1..470 10 ATG AAA AAG ACA GCT ATC GCG ATT GCA GTG GCA CTG GCT GGT TTC GCT 48 Met Lys Lys Thr Ala Ile Ala Ile Ala Val Ala Leu Ala Gly Phe Ala 1 5 10 15 ACC GTA GCG CAG GCC GAC TAC AAG GAC GAT GAC GAC AAG GAT ATC GTG 96 Thr Val Ala Gln Ala Asp Tyr Lys Asp Asp Asp Asp Lys Asp Ile Val 20 25 30 ATG ACC CAG TCT CCA GAC TCC CTG GCT GTG TCT CTG GGC GAG CGT GCC 144 Met Thr Gln Ser Pro Asp Ser Leu Ala Val Ser Leu Gly Glu Arg Ala 35 40 45 ACC ATC AAT TGC AAG TCC AGC CAG AGT GTT TTA TAC AGC TCC AAC AGC 192 Thr Ile Asn Cys Lys Ser Ser Gln Ser Val Leu Tyr Ser Ser Asn Ser 50 55 60 AAG AAC TAC CTG GCT TGG TAC CAG CAG AAA CCA GGT CAG CCT CCT AAG 240 Lys Asn Tyr Leu Ala Trp Tyr Gln Gln Lys Pro Gly Gln Pro Pro Lys 65 70 75 80 CTG CTC ATT TAC TGG GCA TCT ACC CGT GAA TCC GGC GTT CCT GAC CGT 288 Leu Leu Ile Tyr Trp Ala Ser Thr Arg Glu Ser Gly Val Pro Asp Arg 85 90 95 TTC AGT GGT AGC GGT TCT GGT ACA GAT TTC ACT CTC ACC ATC AGC AGC 336 Phe Ser Gly Ser Gly Ser Gly Thr Asp Phe Thr Leu Thr Ile Ser Ser 100 105 110 CTC CAG GCT GAA GAT GTG GCA GTT TAT TAC TGC CAG CAG TAT TAC AGT 384 Leu Gln Ala Glu Asp Val Ala Val Tyr Tyr Cys Gln Gln Tyr Tyr Ser 115 120 125 ACC CCG TAC TCC TTC GGT CAG GGT ACC AAA CTG GAA ATC AAA CGC TCC 432 Thr Pro Tyr Ser Phe Gly Gln Gly Thr Lys Leu Glu Ile Lys Arg Ser 130 135 140 GGT AGC GCT TGG CGT CAC CCG CAG TTC GGT GGT TAA TA 470 Gly Ser Ala Trp Arg His Pro Gln Phe Gly Gly * 145 150 155 155 amino acids amino acid linear protein not provided 11 Met Lys Lys Thr Ala Ile Ala Ile Ala Val Ala Leu Ala Gly Phe Ala 1 5 10 15 Thr Val Ala Gln Ala Asp Tyr Lys Asp Asp Asp Asp Lys Asp Ile Val 20 25 30 Met Thr Gln Ser Pro Asp Ser Leu Ala Val Ser Leu Gly Glu Arg Ala 35 40 45 Thr Ile Asn Cys Lys Ser Ser Gln Ser Val Leu Tyr Ser Ser Asn Ser 50 55 60 Lys Asn Tyr Leu Ala Trp Tyr Gln Gln Lys Pro Gly Gln Pro Pro Lys 65 70 75 80 Leu Leu Ile Tyr Trp Ala Ser Thr Arg Glu Ser Gly Val Pro Asp Arg 85 90 95 Phe Ser Gly Ser Gly Ser Gly Thr Asp Phe Thr Leu Thr Ile Ser Ser 100 105 110 Leu Gln Ala Glu Asp Val Ala Val Tyr Tyr Cys Gln Gln Tyr Tyr Ser 115 120 125 Thr Pro Tyr Ser Phe Gly Gln Gly Thr Lys Leu Glu Ile Lys Arg Ser 130 135 140 Gly Ser Ala Trp Arg His Pro Gln Phe Gly Gly 145 150 155 539 base pairs nucleic acid single linear DNA (genomic) not provided CDS 1..539 12 ATG GAC TAC AAG GAC GAT GAC GAC AAG GGC GCC GAA GAA GTC ACG ATC 48 Met Asp Tyr Lys Asp Asp Asp Asp Lys Gly Ala Glu Glu Val Thr Ile 1 5 10 15 AAA GCG AAC CTG ATC TTT GCA AAT GGT AGC ACA CAA ACT GCA GAA TTC 96 Lys Ala Asn Leu Ile Phe Ala Asn Gly Ser Thr Gln Thr Ala Glu Phe 20 25 30 AAA GGT ACC TTC GAA AAA GCG ACC TCG GAA GCT TAT GCG TAT GCA GAT 144 Lys Gly Thr Phe Glu Lys Ala Thr Ser Glu Ala Tyr Ala Tyr Ala Asp 35 40 45 ACT TTG AAG AAA GAC AAT GGT GAA TAT ACT GTA GAT GTT GCA GAT AAA 192 Thr Leu Lys Lys Asp Asn Gly Glu Tyr Thr Val Asp Val Ala Asp Lys 50 55 60 GGT TAC ACC CTG AAC ATC AAA TTC GCG GGT AAA GAA GCG ACC AAC CGT 240 Gly Tyr Thr Leu Asn Ile Lys Phe Ala Gly Lys Glu Ala Thr Asn Arg 65 70 75 80 AAC ACC GAC GGT TCC ACC GAC TAC GGT ATC TTA CAG ATC AAC TCT CGT 288 Asn Thr Asp Gly Ser Thr Asp Tyr Gly Ile Leu Gln Ile Asn Ser Arg 85 90 95 TGG GGT GGT CTG ACC AGC GCC GAA GAA GTC ACG ATC AAA GCG AAC CTG 336 Trp Gly Gly Leu Thr Ser Ala Glu Glu Val Thr Ile Lys Ala Asn Leu 100 105 110 ATC TTT GCA AAT GGT AGC ACA CAA ACT GCA GAA TTC AAA GGT ACC TTC 384 Ile Phe Ala Asn Gly Ser Thr Gln Thr Ala Glu Phe Lys Gly Thr Phe 115 120 125 GAA AAA GCG ACC TCG GAA GCT TAT GCG TAT GCA GAT ACT TTG AAG AAA 432 Glu Lys Ala Thr Ser Glu Ala Tyr Ala Tyr Ala Asp Thr Leu Lys Lys 130 135 140 GAC AAT GGT GAA TAT ACT GTA GAT GTT GCA GAT AAA GGT TAC ACC CTG 480 Asp Asn Gly Glu Tyr Thr Val Asp Val Ala Asp Lys Gly Tyr Thr Leu 145 150 155 160 AAC ATC AAA TTC GCG GGT AAA GAA AGC GCT TGG CGT CAC CCG CAG TTC 528 Asn Ile Lys Phe Ala Gly Lys Glu Ser Ala Trp Arg His Pro Gln Phe 165 170 175 GGT GGT TAA TA 539 Gly Gly * 180 178 amino acids amino acid linear protein not provided 13 Met Asp Tyr Lys Asp Asp Asp Asp Lys Gly Ala Glu Glu Val Thr Ile 1 5 10 15 Lys Ala Asn Leu Ile Phe Ala Asn Gly Ser Thr Gln Thr Ala Glu Phe 20 25 30 Lys Gly Thr Phe Glu Lys Ala Thr Ser Glu Ala Tyr Ala Tyr Ala Asp 35 40 45 Thr Leu Lys Lys Asp Asn Gly Glu Tyr Thr Val Asp Val Ala Asp Lys 50 55 60 Gly Tyr Thr Leu Asn Ile Lys Phe Ala Gly Lys Glu Ala Thr Asn Arg 65 70 75 80 Asn Thr Asp Gly Ser Thr Asp Tyr Gly Ile Leu Gln Ile Asn Ser Arg 85 90 95 Trp Gly Gly Leu Thr Ser Ala Glu Glu Val Thr Ile Lys Ala Asn Leu 100 105 110 Ile Phe Ala Asn Gly Ser Thr Gln Thr Ala Glu Phe Lys Gly Thr Phe 115 120 125 Glu Lys Ala Thr Ser Glu Ala Tyr Ala Tyr Ala Asp Thr Leu Lys Lys 130 135 140 Asp Asn Gly Glu Tyr Thr Val Asp Val Ala Asp Lys Gly Tyr Thr Leu 145 150 155 160 Asn Ile Lys Phe Ala Gly Lys Glu Ser Ala Trp Arg His Pro Gln Phe 165 170 175 Gly Gly 9 amino acids amino acid single linear DNA (genomic) not provided 14 Ala Trp Arg His Pro Gln Phe Gly Gly 1 5 

What is claimed is:
 1. A catalytic antibody generated against a recombinant or synthetic growth factor or a precursor thereof, wherein said growth factor or said precursor comprises a B-cell surface molecule binding portion, and wherein said growth factor or a catalytic product of said precursor induces B-cell mitogenesis.
 2. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a catalytic antibody generated against a recombinant or synthetic growth factor or a precursor thereof, wherein said growth factor or said precursor comprises a B-cell surface molecule binding portion, and wherein said growth factor or a catalytic products of said precursor induces B-cell mitogenesis.
 3. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 2, wherein said growth factor or said precursor further comprises a portion which provides T-cell dependent help for a B-cell.
 4. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 3, wherein said B-cell surface molecule binding portion comprises a B-cell surface immunoglobulin binding domain, and wherein the portion providing T-cell dependent help for a B-cell comprises a T-cell epitope.
 5. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 4, wherein said B-cell surface immunoglobulin binding domain is protein L from Peptostreptococcus magnus or a derivative or functional equivalent thereof.
 6. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 4, wherein said T-cell epitope comprises hen egg lysozyme (HEL) or a derivative or functional equivalent thereof.
 7. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 3, wherein said growth factor or said precursor comprises at least two B-cell surface binding portions which facilitate cross-linking of B-cell surface molecules.
 8. The pharmaceutical composition according to any one of claims 2-7, wherein said growth factor or precursor further comprises a portion which facilitates multimerization of said growth factor or said precursor.
 9. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 8, wherein the multimerization facilitating portion comprises a signal peptide.
 10. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 9, wherein said signal peptide is obtained from ompA or a functional equivalent thereof.
 11. The pharmaceutical composition according to any one of claims 2-7, wherein said growth factor or said precursor further comprises an antigen linked to said B-cell surface binding portion such that upon cleavage of said antigen or a region proximal to said antigen, said growth factor induces B-cell mitogenesis.
 12. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 11, wherein said growth factor or said precursor comprises an amino acid sequence substantially as set forth in SEQ ID NO:2.
 13. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 11, wherein said growth factor or said precursor comprises an amino acid sequence substantially as set forth in SEQ ID NO:4 or having at least 60% similarity to SEQ ID NO:4.
 14. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 8, wherein said growth factor or said precursor further comprises an antigen linked to said B surface binding portion such that upon cleavage of said antigen or a region proximal to said antigen, said growth factor induces B-cell mitogenesis.
 15. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 14, wherein the multimerization facilitating portion comprises a signal peptide.
 16. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 15, wherein said signal peptide is obtained from ompA or a functional equivalent thereof.
 17. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 2, wherein said growth factor or said precursor further comprises a portion which provides T-cell dependent help for a B-bell.
 18. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 17, wherein said B-cell surface molecule binding portion comprises a B-cell surface immunoglobulin binding domain, and wherein the portion providing T-cell dependent help for a B-cell comprises a T-cell epitope.
 19. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 18, wherein said B-cell surface immunoglobulin binding domain is protein L from Peptostreptococcus magnus or a derivative or functional equivalent thereof.
 20. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 18, wherein said T-cell epitope comprises hen egg lysozyme (HEL) or a derivative or functional equivalent thereof.
 21. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 17, wherein said growth factor comprises at least two B-cell surface binding portions which facilitate cross-linking of B-cell surface molecules.
 22. The pharmaceutical composition according to any one of claims 2 or 17-21, wherein said growth factor or said precursor further comprises a portion which facilitates multimerization of said growth factor or said precursor.
 23. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 22, wherein the multimerization facilitating portion comprises a signal peptide.
 24. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 23, wherein said signal peptide is obtained from ompA or a functional equivalent thereof.
 25. The pharmaceutical composition according to any one of claims 2 or 17-21, wherein said growth factor or said precursor further comprises an antigen linked to said B-cell surface binding portion such that upon cleavage of said antigen or a region proximal to said antigen, said growth factor induces B-cell mitogenesis.
 26. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 25, wherein said growth factor or said precursor comprises an amino acid sequence substantially as set forth in SEQ ID NO:2.
 27. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 25, wherein said growth factor or said precursor thereof comprises an amino acid sequence substantially as set forth in SEQ ID NO:4 or having at least 60% similarity to SEQ ID NO:4.
 28. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 22, wherein said growth factor or said precursor further comprises an antigen linked to said B surface binding portion such that upon cleavage of said antigen or a region proximal to said antigen, said growth factor induces B-cell mitogenesis.
 29. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 28, wherein the multimerization facilitating portion comprises a signal peptide.
 30. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 29, wherein said signal peptide is obtained from ompA or a functional equivalent thereof. 